630 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Distribution. Common in the eastern states, rare west of the Mississippi and 

 in the southern states. 



Hypericum punctatum Lam. Spotted St. John's-Wort 



Herbaceous, perennial, 1 or more feet high ; copiously marked with black, 

 pellucid dots; leaves sessile, oblong or ovate-lanceolate; cymes terminal, many- 

 flowered; flowers crowded; petals pale yellow, large, longer than the oblong 

 sepals; styles mostly not longer than the pods. 



Distribution. In moist soil, Maine and Ontario to Minn., Florida, Kansas 

 and Texas. 



Fig. 354. St. Johns-wort (.Hypericum 

 ptrforatum). Flowering branch, fruit, 

 section of fruit, part of leaf. Contains 

 an oil and an acrid resin. (From Ves- 

 que's Trait6 de Botanique.) 



Hypericum Ascyron L. Great St. John's-wort 



Large stems, from 2-5 feet high, branched, 2-4-angled; leaves oblong, partly 

 clasping; petals narrowly obovate; cymes terminal, few-flowered; flowers large, 

 bright yellow ; stamens in 5 sets ; styles 5, united below ; capsules ovoid, 5-celled ; 

 seeds small, numerous. 



Distribution. From Vermont, Canada and Manitoba to Kansas, Illinois, 

 eastward, also found in Europe and Asia. 



Poisonous properties. It is believed that, where the plant is common, it is 

 poisonous. It is said to cause eruptions on cows' udders and on the feet of 

 white-haired animals. A writer in Breeders' Gazette reports the former species 

 as poisonous. Prof. Chesnut says : 



This species and the spotted St. John's-wort (H. masculatum, H. punctatum), were 

 brought into the Department by Dr. G. W. Bready, from Norwood, Md. t who stated that five 

 horses were poisoned in May, 1898, by eating meadow hay which contained nearly SO per cent 

 of these plants. One horse died from the effects of the poison, and two were killed to prevent 

 their further suffering. 



