200 HYPERICACEAE 



Manitoba and south to New York and Texas. In Illinois, it 

 seems to be generally uncommon: but it has been reported very 

 frequently in the northeast corner of the state, and throughout 

 the northern third. It has been reported occasionally as far 

 south as Wabash County in the east and Macoupin County in 

 the \vest. 



HYPERICACEAE 

 The St. John's-Wort Family 



The St. John's-worts are shrubs or herbs, which bear opposite 

 or. rarely, whorled, entire, translucently dotted leaves, no stip- 

 ules, and perfect, regular flowers in cymes. The flowers have 

 4 or 5 sepals and 4 or 5 yellowish to pink petals. The stamens 

 may be few or many and are usually divided into 3 or 5 groups. 

 The ovary, which consists of several united pistils, is 1-celled 

 or 3- to 7-celled. The st\-les are distinct or united, and the 

 stigmas often are capitate. The fruit is a capsule, which opens 

 by splitting along the septums. 



There are some 300 species in the St. John's-wort family. 

 They are distributed among 10 genera, which range mostly 

 in temperate and warm regions. In the northeastern Lnited 

 States, the family is represented by 4 genera, and in Illinois 

 there are 3 species which may be considered as shrubs. 



Key to the Genera 



Low. diffuse shrubs with 4 sepals, 4 petals and 2 pistils 



Ascyrum 



Erect shrubs with 5 sepals, 5 petals and more than 2 pistils 



Hypericum 



ASCYRUM Linnaeus 

 St. Andrew's Cross The St. Peter's-Worts 



These plants are low. leafy shrubs with opposite, black-dotted 

 leaves and perfect, solitary, terminal flowers borne on 2-bracted 

 pedicels. The 4 sepals are very unequal, the outer 2 being much 

 larger, and the 4 petals are yellow and somewhat oblique. The 

 stamens are distinct, or the filaments may be united toward the 

 base, and the anthers open lengthwise. The ovary is 1-celled, 

 and develops into a tapering capsule. 



There are about five species, all native in the western hemi- 



