786 HYPERICACEAE 



2. CROOKBA Small. 



Weak branching shrubby plants, with the habit of species of Ascyrum. Leaves numer- 

 ous, nearly equal throughout the plant : blades narrow, obtuse. Flowers solitary at the 

 ends of the branches, or clustered. Sepals 4, in slightly unequal pairs, the members of 

 both pairs differing very little either in size or shape. Petals 4, yellow , quite unequal in 

 size or shape, fully twice as long as the sepals. Stamens numerous : filaments distinct. 

 Glands none. Ovary 1-celled : styles 3, coherent, but at length separating. Capsule much 

 longer than the sepals. Seeds numerous. 



1. Crookea microsfepala (T. & G.) Small. A branching shrub, with decumbent 

 or ascending stems. Leaves numerous ; blades cuneate to linear-cuneate or narrowly ob- 

 long, 6-14 mm. long, rounded at the apex, often slightly revolute, sessile : flowers showy, 

 2-2.5 cm. broad : sepals 4, linear to oblong, obtuse : petals 4, yellow, unequal, the smaller 

 oblong, the larger obovate, obtuse : stamens numerous, distinct : capsules oblong, 7-8 mm. 

 long, much surpassing the sepals : seeds oblong, less than 1 mm. long, striate and pitted. 

 [Ascyrum microsepalwm, T. & G., Hypericum microsepalum (T. & G. ) A. Gray.] 



In sandy soil, southern Georgia and Florida. Spring. 



3. HYPERICUM L. 



Showy shrubby plants or herbs, with erect or depressed stems. Leaves opposite : blades 

 usually thickish, commonly sessile or clasping, entire or nearly so, more or less punctate. 

 Flowers solitary, or in more or less compound cymes. Sepals 5, slightly unequal. Petals 

 5, yellow, smooth and glabrous, oblique, convolute. Stamens numerous : filaments distinct, 

 or more or less united at the base and aggregated into 3-8 groups without hypogynous 

 glands. Ovary 1-celled, with 3-5 parietal placentae or 3-5-celled : styles 3-5, sometimes 

 coherent. Capsule tapering upward. Seeds numerous, variously marked. ST. JOHN'S-WORT. 



Stamens few or several, 5-12, usually in 3 clusters. 



Leaf-blades linear. 1. H. Canademe. 



Leaf-blades ovate, oval or oblong. 



Sepals obtuse or somewhat acute : leaf-blades obtuse. 2. //. mutilum. 



Sepals acuminate : leaf-blades acute. 3. H. gymnanthum. 



Stamens numerous, 15-40, distinct or in clusters : capsules 3-5-celled or with 



intruding placentae. 

 A. Styles 3 or rarely 4 : capsules 3-celled or with 3 more or less intruding 



placentae. 



a. Capsules 1-celled or incompletely 3-celled. 

 Capsules with parietal placentae, 1-celled. 

 Styles distinct : stigmas capitate. 

 'Foliage glabrous : sepals not ciliate. 



Sepals conspicuously imbricated, at least the outer broadest 



at the base : leaf-blades broadest about the middle. 4. H. virgatum. 



Sepals not conspicuously imbricated, at least the outer 

 broadest about the middle : leaf-blades broadest about 

 the base. 5. H. acutifolium. 



Foliage tomentose : sepals ciliate. 6. H. setosum. 



Styles coherent, at least below : stigmas minute. 



Corolla over 18 mm. broad : capsules over 6 mm. high. 7. H. doldbrijorme. 



Corolla less than 18 mm. broad : capsules less than 6 mm. high. 



Capsules broadest at the top, about as long as the sepals. 8. H. turgidum. 



Capsules broadest at the base. 



Sepals obtuse : seeds striate and pitted. 9. H. opacum. 



Sepals acute or acXitish : seeds transversely wrinkled. 10. H. sphaerocarpum. 



Capsules incompletely 3-celled by the intrusion of the placentae. 

 * Sepals very small or at least not foliaceous. 



Leaves never in conspicuous axillary clusters ; blades relatively 



broad. 

 Sepals obtuse or merely acutish. 



Sepals less than % as long as the petals : capsules 6-7 mm. 



long. 11. H. nudiflorum. 



Sepals over % as long as the petals : capsules 12-13 mm. 



long. 12. //. apocynifotium. 



Sepals manifestly acute or acuminate. 13. H. adpressum. 



Leaves in conspicuous axillary clusters ; blades narrow. 



t Leaves of the axillary clusters mostly much smaller than 



the main pair ; blades neither subulate, nor fleshy. 

 Cymes in terminal congested corymbs : buds broadly 



ovoid : mountain species. 14. H. glomeratum. 



Cymes in elongated narrow panicles : buds conic : low- 

 land species. 



t Leaves linear-oblong, spatulate or'oblanceolate. 

 Sepals oblong to lanceolate, not narrowed at the 



base. 15. H. interior. 



Sepals spatulate to elliptic-spatulate, narrowed at 



the base. 16. H. ambiguum. 



