Do Diane Know if the hepatica is a nobile var japonica or if it is a "european"? Joakim
Hepatica "Millstream Merlin" is a hybrid raised by the late Lincoln Foster of the USA. It arose as a spontaneous hybrid, and it tends to be labelled as H x media, pointing to its parents being H nobilis and H transsilvanica. However, there is some reference to the parentage as being H acutiloba or H americana, which in the early days were regarded as subspecies of H nobilis. So the only way to sort this out would be to call in the the DNA experts to sort that one out. Meanwhile it is a beautiful hybrid. Yes, it is always in this form, without anthers - the Japanese call this a "maiden" form.
