Hepatica

Hepatica, or liverwort, plant (genus Hepatica) of the buttercup family with 3-lobed leaves that derives its Latin and English names from its resemblance to the human liver. Medieval doctors used it as a cure for liver diseases. It is an almost stemless plant about 3 in (7.6 cm) high that grows in woodlands and produces brightly colored flowers in the spring. After the flowers have died, new leaves sprout and displace the old foliage that has persisted over the winter.