HYPERICINE/E. 8/ 



this country, appearing in most of our floras as indigenous, but 

 originally from southern Europe. 



H. Elodes {Marsh St Johii s-ivort). — This is a low creeping 

 plant with diffuse stems, rooting at the base, but attaining a 

 height of 6 or 9 inches before flowering. The leaves are 

 woolly on both sides, roundish or kidney-shaped, and the 

 flowers appear in cymes at the ends of the stems and branches, 

 and are pale yellow. The species is found in boggy places in 

 nature, and is useful for adorning wet banks. Flowers early 

 and late in sum.mer. It is indigenous, being abundant in the 

 west of England and Wales and Ireland. 



H. humifusum {Trailmg St JoJni s-ivoii). — This is a prostrate 

 trailing plant, with freely-branching stems forming dense tufts 

 about 6 inches high. The leaves are small, stalkless, oblong. 

 The flowers, in terminal rather leafy panicles, pale yellow, 

 appear from early summer till late autumn. To those who are 

 acquainted with this little plant only as it appears in nature, 

 the improvement in its appearance when under cultivation in 

 good garden-soil will appear very marked. It is well worth a 

 place in any collection, either as a rock or border plant. It is 

 not uncommon in England and Ireland, but rare in Scotland, 

 and aftects a variety of very different habitats, from dry stony 

 pastures to moist bogs. 



H. linariifolium {Flax-leaved St John's-wort). — This is a 

 pretty and distinct species, li grows rather erect, about 9 

 inches high, the stems rather thickly clothed with narrow 

 oblong leaves. The flowers, in loose cor}'mbs, are bright 

 yellow, appear in June, and last throughout the summer. 

 Adapted either to culture on rockwork or the front lines of 

 mixed borders. A very rare native of Britain, being found 

 only in one or two stations in South Wales. 



H. nummularium {Money-leaved St Johns-wort). — This is a 

 dwarf creeping species, forming considerable tufted masses ; 

 the leaves are round or kidney-shaped. The flowers appear in 

 summer, and last a month or two ; they are bright yellow. 

 Adapted for rockwork, the margins of shrubberies, and front 

 lines of mixed borders. 



H. patulum {Spreading St John's-ivort). — This is a densely- 

 spreading plant, between shrubby and herbaceous, with branch- 

 ing purplish stems about a foot in height, clothed with ovate 

 lanceolate almost stalkless leaves, and bearing terminal cymes 

 of yellow flowers, which appear in summer. Best adapted for 

 naturalising, but suitable also for margins of shrubberies and 

 rough rockwork. Native of Nepal. 



E. perforatum {Co?jimon St John's-ivort). — This is one of the 



