HAIRY ST. JOHN'S WORT. 47 



species we here figure. The corolla is composed of five bright 

 yellow petals : it will be noticed that, as in the case of the 

 periwinkle, Tinea major, a plant we have already included in 

 our series, the general effect of the corolla is regular and 

 symmetrical, but that if we examine any one of the five 

 petals composing it we shall find it un-symmetrical. A 

 buttercup or a rose petal we could double down the centre 

 and so get two similar halves, as indeed we could with 

 the petal of almost any other flower , but it will readily 

 be seen on turning to our drawing of the periwinkle or 

 in studying the present figure that it would be impossible 

 so to halve their petals. We get, therefore, a symmetrical 

 whole out of a series of unsymmetrical parts. The stamens 

 of the hairy St. John's Wort are numerous, and on dissection 

 of the plant will be found to be in three bundles, hence 

 they are said botanically to be triadelphous. The filaments are 

 very slender and straight, shorter than the petals, within 

 which they form a conspicuous feature. The styles are three 

 in number, simple in character and widely spreading ; and 

 the seed-vessel is an oblong capsule of three cavities and 

 three valves or partitions, forming a very pretty section 

 when a keen-edged knife has made the necessary sharp cut 

 across it. The seeds within are numerous and very minute. 

 The older botanists, not paying much regard to niceties of 

 distinction, appear to have overlooked this species of St. 

 John's Wort. By superficial observers the discrimination 

 between this and the H. perforatum is not often observed, 

 but it differs from it in being a taller plant, in being 

 covered with hair, in having a perfectly round stem, and in 

 the glands on the calyx being far more numerous and 

 conspicuous. 



By some of the older writers the hairv St. John's 



