Anemone hepatica

Description:

Is a herbaceous perennial growing from a rhizome in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Anemone hepatica grows 5–15 cm (2–6 in) high. Leaves and flowers emerge directly from the rhizome, not from a stem above ground. The leaves have three lobes and are fleshy and hairless, 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in) wide and 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) long. The upper side is dark green with whitish stripes and the lower side is violet or reddish-brown. Leaves emerge during or after flowering and remain green through winter. The flowers are blue, purple, pink, or white and appear in winter or spring. They have five to ten oval showy sepals and three green bracts.

Habitat:

Native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It is found in the woods, thickets and meadows, especially in the mountains of the continental Europe.