HYPERICACE^— ST. JOHN'S-WORT 



FAMILY 



COMMON ST. JOHN'S-WORT 



Hypericum perforatum 



Ancient Greek name of obscure origin. 



Perennial. Bearing terminal clusters of bright, golden- 

 yellow flowers; appearing in neglected meadows, road- 

 sides, and waste places in tufts or bunches. At its best 

 from midsummer day through July. Juices acrid and 

 bitter; a pernicious weed. Naturalized from Europe. 

 June-September. 



Stem. — Smooth, slender, branching, leafy, one to two 

 feet high, with many barren shoots at base. 



Leaves. — Opposite; sessile, oblong or linear; obtuse, with 

 entire margins and more or less black-dotted. Also 

 dotted with transparent specks which show when held 

 to the light. 



Flowers. — Bright yellow, five-pointed stars, in loose 

 terminal clusters. 



Calyx. — Of five sepals, lanceolate, pale green. 



Corolla. — Petals five, convolute in bud, bright yel- 

 low, somewhat oblique, finely notched along one side 

 to the tip, often with a black dot in each notch. The sur- 

 face is more or less covered with tiny black specks. 



Stamens. — Very many yellow stamens radiate from the 

 three-pronged, light-green pistil, in three sets. Anthers 

 black-dotted. 



Pistil. — Ovary three-celled; styles three, separate and 

 diverging. 



Fruit. — Three-celled capsule. 



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