HYPERICACE^: 



THE FRUIT: tiny pods. 



This is the weak-stemmed St. John's-wort of the swamps, 

 that has generally ovate leaves and tiny, orange-yellow 

 flowers, that close early. 



HYPERICACE^E ST. JOHN'S-WORT FAMILY 



Hypericum perforatmn, L. 



Yellow Common St. Herb John, 



John's-wort, Speckled John, 



July-September Amber John, Rosin Rose, 



Penny-John, Touch-and-Heal. 



Hypericum: for derivation see boreale. 

 Perforatum: Latin, meaning to bore through. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil of the Commons. 



THE PLANT: erect, twelve to twenty-four inches high, 

 densely branched; the stem hairless, more or less two-edged. 



THE LEAVES: numerous; oblong or linear; without hairs 

 on either surface; obtuse at the apex; sessile; thin; entire; 

 with black dots. 



THE FLOWERS: in a cyme at the ends of the branches, on 

 short, smooth peduncles. The sepals lance-shaped, acute 

 at the apex; the petals broad, somewhat spreading; the 

 stamens numerous and prominent. 



THE FRUIT: a capsule. 



This Hypericum has a tall, wand-like stem, which bears 

 numerous vivid deep-yellow, open flowers with many fine, 

 yellow stamens. Conspicuous also is the fruit, reddish- 

 brown seed-vessels, that stay long on the almost leafless 

 stems. 



From this plant is made a drug valuable in the treatment 

 of neuritis and of rheumatism. 



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