COMMON ST. JOHN'S-WORT 



St. John's-Wort forms the bunches of brilliant 

 yellow flowers found in neglected meadows during 

 late June and early July. These rise about to the 

 level of the Timothy heads with which they are sur- 

 rounded. The flowers are at their best then, they 



Common St. John's-Wort. Hypericum perfordtum 



fairly tangle the sunshine in their petals; later they 

 begin to fade, the petals wither to a rusty-brown, and 

 as they do not drop off they mingle with the younger 

 flowers and make the cluster unsightly. 



About this plant has gathered a store of folk-lore, 

 difficult to comprehend without knowing how and 

 whence it came. Many virtues were attributed to it 

 in ancient days: it restored eyesight; it cured wounds 

 and bruises; it defended its possessor against the 



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