ST. JOHN S- WORT FAMILY 159 



and by the long spreading hairs on the petioles of the lower 

 leaves. It grows in meadowy places at 5000 to 9000 ft. alt. 



GUTTIFERAE. St. John's-wort Family. 

 Herbs and shrubs with opposite entire mostly sessile leaves 

 and no stipules. Flowers regular, the sepals and petals 4 or 

 5 each. Ovary free from the calyx, becoming a 1 to 7-celled 

 capsule. 



1. HYPERICUM. St. John's-wort. 

 Mostty smooth plants with dotted leaves. Stamens 15 to 

 numerous, frequently united into several clusters. Styles in 

 ours 3. 



1. H. formdsum HBK. Stems nearly simple, erect, y 2 to 

 3 ft. high. Leaves sessile, ovate or oblong, obtuse, Yz to 1 in. 

 long, the margins black-dotted. Flowers large, yellow, the 

 petals T /z in. long. 



The loose, terminal, yellow flower-clusters of this plant are 

 a common sight in weedy meadows and along streams at 

 moderate altitudes. It is widely distributed in western North 

 America. The flowers do not yield honey but they are never- 

 theless visited by many insects for pollen. Aside from that 

 intentionally carried away, the insect gets his breast well 

 dusted with the powder and incidentally effects cross-pollina- 

 tion by rubbing it against the rigidly protruding stigmas of 

 the next flower he visits. 



2. H. anagalloides C. & S. Stems weak, leafy, seldom 6 in. 

 high. Leaves lanceolate to nearly orbicular, obtuse, ^ to ^ 

 in. long. Flowers few, about % in. long, yellow. 



This plant forms dense, leafy mats brightly ornamented 

 with the small, yellow flowers. It grows in moist soil in the 

 Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy valleys, etc., and up to nearly 

 9000 ft. alt. 



H. conctnnum Benth., of the foothills, has flowers as large 

 as no. 1, but may be known by its wiry stems and woody base. 



VIOLACEAE. Violet Family. 

 Herbs with irregular nodding flowers. 



1. VIOLA. Violet. 

 Perennial herbs with alternate stipulate leaves and solitary 

 flowers on long pedicels. Sepals 5, unequal. Petals 5, unequal, 

 the lowest continued backward as a spur. Stamens 5. Ovary 



