116 HYPERICACEAE 



volute in the bud, deciduous or marcescent. Stamens 5 to many, distinct, or more or less 

 united in clusters, sometimes with interposed hypogynous glands. Ovary 1 -celled, with 

 3-5 parietal placentae which sometimes project far into the cavity, or 3-5-celled (rarely 

 6-celled) ; ovules generally numerous; styles 3-6. Capsule 1-5-celled (rarely 6-celled). 

 [Ancient Greek name, of obscure meaning.] 



About 300 species, of wide geographical distribution, principally in subtropical regions. In addition to the 

 following, 25 others occur in eastern and southern United States. Type species, Hypericum perforatum L. 



Petals much longer than the sepals; capsule 3-celled. 

 Leaves flat, obtuse; stems few from a rhizome. 



Leaves oval, 2-3 cm. long; stems simple. 1. H. formosum Scouleri. 



Leaves oblong-linear, 1-2 cm. long; stems much branched. 2. H. perforatum. 



Leaves folded, acutish, linear-lanceolate; stems numerous, from a woody caudex. 3. H. concinnum. 

 Petals shorter than or only slightly longer than the sepals; capsule 1-celled. 



Leaves usually less than 1 cm. long; stamens 15-20. 4. H. anagalloides. 



Leaves 1—4 cm. long; stamens 5-12. 



Leaves lanceolate to linear; flowers 6-10 mm. broad. S. H. majus. 



Leaves ovate or oval; flowers 2-4 mm. broad. 6. H. tnutilum. 



1. Hypericum formosum var. Scouleri (Hook.) J. M. Coult. Scouler's 



St. John's-wort. Fig. 3233. 



Hypericum Scouleri Hook. Fl. Bor. Amer. 1: 111. 1830. 



Hypericum formosum var. Scouleri J. M. Coult. Bot. Gaz. 11: 108. 1886. 



Perennial, stems erect, few from a rhizome, slender, simple, or branched at the summit, 

 15-60 cm. high, lacking sterile basal shoots. Leaves ovate, oval or lanceolate, flat, obtuse, black- 

 dotted along the margins, sessile by a more or less clasping base, 1-3 cm. long; flowers 15-20 

 mm. broad, in more or less paniculate cymes ; sepals ovate or oval, 3-4 mm. long, obtuse or 

 acutish, with a few sessile black glands ; petals obovate, bright yellow, black-dotted on the mar- 

 gin, 7-9 mm. long ; stamens numerous, in 3 clusters ; anthers black-dotted ; capsule 3-lobed, 

 6 mm. long. 



In wet meadows and along streams, Upper Sonoran and Transition Zones; British Columbia to Wyoming, 

 Utah, and southern California. Type locality: "Abundant in dry gravelly soils and limestone rocks on the 

 North-West coast of America, near the Columbia." June-Aug. 



Hypericum form6sum H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 5: 196. pi. 460. 1821. The typical species has the 

 sepals narrower and sharply acute or acuminate, and usually more glandular-dotted, with the_ glands forming 

 minute glandular teeth on the margins. It ranges from southern Mexico to New Mexico and Arizona, with inter- 

 grades in Colorado, Utah, and San Bernardino Mountains, southern California. Type locality: Pazcuaro, Mexico. 



2. Hypericum perforatum L, Common St. John's-wort. Fig. 3234. 



Hypericum perforatum L. Sp. PI. 785. 1753. 



Perennial, herbaceous from a woody base, 30-60 cm. high, much branched; stems erect, 

 stoloniferous, with numerous short sterile shoots at base. Leaves sessile, oblong or linear, 1-2 

 cm. long, 2-4 mm. wide, obtuse, more or less black-dotted; cymes terminal, many-flowered; 

 flowers bright yellow, 15-25 mm. broad; sepals lanceolate, acute, pellucid-dotted, shorter than 

 the linear-oblong copiously black-dotted petals which are twisted after anthesis ; stamens united 

 at their bases into 3 sets; styles 3, usually spreading; capsule ovoid, 4-6 mm. long, 3-celled, 

 glandular, not lobed, reddish. 



In fields and waste ground, a very noxious weed, difficult to exterminate, poisonous to horses. Naturalized 

 from Europe. British Columbia to central California, and eastward to the Atlantic Coast. Type locality: Eu- 

 rope. June-Sept. Klamath Weed, Tipton-weed. 



3. Hypericum concinnum Benth, Gold Wire. Fig. 3235. 



Hypericum concinnum Benth. PI. Hartw. 300. 1848. 

 Hypericum bracteatum Kell. Proc. Calif. Acad. 1 : 65. 1855. 



Perennial, stems slender, wiry, tufted, numerous from a woody caudex, forming a bushy 

 plant 15-30 cm. high. Leaves numerous, thickish, linear to lanceolate, acute, ascending or spread- 

 ing, narrow at the base, not clasping, usually folded, sparsely black-dotted, 1.5-3 cm. long; 

 flowers 2-2.5 cm. broad, in rather close terminal cymes; sepals ovate, or lanceolate, acute or 

 acuminate, 5-9 mm. long; petals golden yellow, obovate, 10-15 mm. long, black-dotted on the 

 margin, much longer than the sepals ; stamens numerous, 4 of the filaments in each of the 3 

 clusters distinctly united at base, the others free; styles long, divaricately spreading; capsule 

 3-celled and 3-lobed, 10-12 mm. long. 



Dry ridges and slopes in the mountains. Upper Sonoran and Arid Transition Zones; North Coast Ranges, 

 and the Sierra Nevada from Butte County to Mariposa County, California. Type locality: said to have been 

 collected in the "Sacramento Valley," but probably on one of Hartweg's trips from the valley into the Sierra 

 Nevada, in Butte County or along the American River. May-July. 



4. Hypericum anagalloides Cham. & Sch. Creeping St. John's-wort 



or Tinker's Penny. Fig. 3236. 



Hypericum anapalloides Cham. & Sch. Linnaea 3: 127. 1828. 

 Hypericum anagalloides var. nevadense Greene, Fl. Fran. 113. 1891. 

 Hypericum bryophytum Elmer, Bot. Gaz. 36: 60. 1903. 

 Hypericum tapetoides A. Nels. Bot. Gaz. 52:266. 1911. 



Annual or perennial, often forming dense mats ; stems numerous, weak, slender, procumbent 



