HYPERICACEAE. 62$ 



oo , in 2 rows in each cavity, anatropous. Fruit mainly capsular with sep- 

 ticidal dehiscence ; seeds mainly straight ; endosperm none. About 10 

 genera and 280 species, mainly of temperate and warm regions. 



Sepals 4, in unequal pairs; petals 4. i. Ascyrum. 

 Sepals and petals 5. 

 Petals yellow. 



Leaves normal, not reduced to scales. 2. Hypericum. 



Leaves reduced to minute appressed scales. 3. Sarothra. 



Flowers pink or greenish purple. 4. Triadenum. 



i. ASCYRUM L. 



Leafy glabrous low shrubs, with the aspect of Hypericum. Flowers bright yel- 

 low. Sepals 4, in 2 pairs, the exterior ones broad and round, the interior smaller 

 and narrower. Petals 4, oblique or slightly contorted, deciduous. Stamens oo , 

 distinct, or united in clusters. Ovary i -celled, with 2-4 parietal placentae; styles 

 2-4. Capsule i-celled, 2-4-valved, dehiscent at the placentae. [Greek, not rough.] 

 About 5 species, natives of eastern N. Am., the W. I. and Cent. Am. 

 Erect, 3-6 dm. high; leaves clasping; styles 3 or 4. i. A. stans. 



Diffusely branched, 1-2.5 dm. high; leaves sessile; styles 2. 2. A. hypericoides. 



1. Ascyrum stans Michx. ST. PETER'S-WORT. (I. F. f. 2442.) Stems and 

 branches 2-edged or slightly winged; leaves erect or ascending, oval, or broadly 

 oblong, 1.5-3.5 cm. long, obtuse, thick; cyme terminal, few-flowered; pedicels 8- 

 12 mm. long, 2-bracted below the middle; flowers 1.5-2.5 cm. broad; outer sepals 

 8-12 mm. long, cordate, the inner lanceolate, 6-12 mm. long; petals obovate, longer 

 than the sepals; capsule ovoid, about 6 mm. long. In dry sandy soil, L. I. to 

 eastern Penn., Fla., Tenn. and Tex. July- Aug. 



2. Ascyrum hypericoides L. ST. ANDREW'S CROSS. (I. F. f. 2443.) Stems 

 and branches flattened and 2-edged; leaves oblong or obovate, sessile, narrowed 

 and 2-glandular at the base, 1-4 cm. long, thin, obtuse; flowers terminal or also 

 axillary; pedicels 2-6 mm. long, 2-bracted near the summit; flowers 12-18 mm. 

 broad; outer sepals oval or ovate, sometimes cordate, 8-12 mm. long, obtuse, the 

 inner narrower and mainly shorter; petals oblong-linear, about equalling the outer 

 sepals; styles 2; capsule ovoid, about 4 mm. long. In dry sandy soil, Mass, to 

 Fla., 111., Kans. and Tex. July- Aug. 



3. HYPERICUM L. 



Herbs or shrubs, with opposite punctate or black-dotted leaves, and mostly 

 cymose yellow flowers. Sepals 5, equal or nearly so. Petals 5, mainly oblique or 

 contorted, convolute or imbricated in the bud. Stamens oo , distinct, or more or 

 less united in clusters, sometimes with interposed hypogynous glands. Ovary 

 I -celled, with 3-5 parietal placentae which sometimes project far into the cavity, 

 or 3-5-celled (rarely 6-celled); ovules oo , generally numerous ; styles 3-6. Capsule 

 1-5 -celled (rarely 6-celled). [The Greek name.] About 210 species, of wide 

 geographic distribution. In addition to the following, 12 others occur in the southern 

 and western United States and British America. 



* Styles 5 ; large perennials ; pods 5-celled. 



Flowers 2-5 cm. broad; pods 1.8-2 cm. long. i. H. Ascyron. 



Flowers 1-2.5 cm - broad; pods 6-12 mm. long. 2. H. Kalmianum. 



* * Styles 3 (rarely 4). 

 f Tall leafy shrubs ; pods 3-celled. 



Flowers 12-16 mm. broad ; pods 8-12 mm. long. 3. H. proltficum. 



Flowers 8-12 mm. broad; pods 4-6 mm. long. 4. H. densiflorum. 



f f Herbaceous, sometimes woody at the base. 

 \ Stamens numerous (15-40) ; flowers 6-25 mm. broad. 

 Capsules i-celled or incompletely 3-4-celled. 



Capsules incompletely 3-4-celled by the projecting placentas. 



Leaves linear, 2-4 mm. wide. 5. H. galioides. 



Leaves oblong, 6-10 mm. wide. 6. H. adpressum. 



Capsules strictly i-celled ; placentae parietal. 



Styles united into a beak, separate above; stigmas minute. 



