W99 

 (leaf 2) 



scabby condition usually develop over the face and ears, but some- 

 times over the back and sides. Sick animals soon lose weight and 

 in severe cases become blind, develop sore mouths, and may even 

 die rom malnutrition. Obviously, the poisonous effects of common 

 St.Johnswort are largely cumulative and result in lower market 

 prices and in curtailed wool quality and yield. 



In northern California common St.Johnswort is such a common 

 pest that its eradication is a major problem. Sampson and Parker 4 

 found such mechanical controls as digging, mowing, covering with 

 opaque material, and flooding practical only on small areas. Burn- 

 ing not only endangered other property values but extended the 

 stands of common St.Johnswort, both by regrowth of the old plant 

 from root crowns and underground runners and through increased 

 germination of the heated seeds. A 15-percent solution of sodium 

 chlorate applied as a fine spray during the spring or late summer 

 appears to be the most effective means thus far developed for eradi- 

 cating a stand of common St.Johnswort. Sodium chlorate, how- 

 ever, is expensive and must be used with care. Clothing and other 

 organic matter spattered with any of the evaporated solution are 

 highly inflammable and explosive. The two California investigators 

 mentioned believe that systematic goat grazing the weed is fairly 

 palatable and only mildly poisonous to goats would probably help 

 control common St.Johnswort. 



Common St.Johnswort blooms throughout the spring and early 

 summer, the blossoms forming a mass of yellow wherever the plants 

 form large patches. Later the flowers wilt, the leaves, stems, and 

 seed pods become brown, and the whole colony acquires an unkempt, 

 weedy appearance. The leaves are interesting, as they are speckled 

 with glands resembling perforations, which accounts for the specific 

 name perforatum. 



ST.JOHNSWORTS (Hype'ricum spp.) 



Hypericiiwi is a large genus of over 200 species widely distributed 

 in the temperate and subtropical regions, especially of the northern 

 hemisphere, although there are probably less than six species native 

 to the Western States. They are herbs or shrubs, with opposite, 

 stemless, or short-petioled and gland-dotted leaves, mostly yellow 

 flowers of five equal petals and sepals, numerous, more or less united 

 stamens, and 3- to 5-celled capsules. One annual, trailing St.Johns- 

 wort (H. anagalloi' 'des) , is from 2 to 7 inches high and forms small 

 mats in very wet places in the mountains from British Columbia 

 to California and Montana. Scouler St.Johnswort (H. seow'leri), 

 a native perennial, is smaller than common St.Johnswort, although 

 similar in form and site requirements, but can be readily distin- 

 guished by the absence of sterile shoots. It occurs from British 

 Columbia to Montana, Colorado, and California. 



* Sampson, A. W., and Parker, K. W. ST. JOHNSWORT ON RANGE LANDS OF CALIFORNIA. 

 Calif. AST. Expt. Sta. Bull. 503, 48 pp, illus. 1930. 



