608 



HYPERICINE^E. III. HYPERICUM. 



and with black ones beneath and at the margins ; sepals acute, 

 rather unequal, sometimes serrated. tj . F. Native of Barbary, 

 Spain, and Syria. 



African St. John's-wort. Shrub 6 feet. 



104 H. PERFORATUM (Lin spec. 1105.) stem 2-edged; leaves 

 ovate or elliptical, with copious, pellucid dots ; flowers panicled ; 

 sepals lanceolate, full of pellucid dots ; anthers with black dots ; 

 styles short, erect, tf. . H. Native every where throughout 

 Europe, north of Africa, Siberia, in groves, hedges, and thickets. 

 Abundant in Britain. Smith, engl. bot. t. 295. Curt. lond. fasc. 

 1. t. 57. Oed. fl. dan. 1043. Turp. in diet. sc. nat. with a 

 figure. Root tufted. Flowers bright-yellow, dotted, and streak- 

 ed with purple. This plant has a powerful lemon-like scent 

 when rubbed, staining the fingers with dark purple, from the 

 great abundance of coloured essential oil lodged in the herbage, 

 and even in the petals. As this plant was found to bleed at the 

 slightest touch, it was supposed to have a vulnerary quality, and 

 became the " balm of the warrior's wound," giving a blood-red 

 colour to every composition, whether of a spiritous or oily 

 nature into which it entered. The essential oil, the seat of this 

 colour, is aromatic, and possibly tonic or stimulating, without 

 much acrimony. 



Although in the present practice this plant is not much 

 regarded as a medicine, yet its sensible qualities, and the re- 

 peated testimonies of its virtues, entitle it to further trials. To 

 the taste it is astringent and bitter, and it seems to be chiefly 

 diuretic. It has been given in ulcerations of the kidneys, and 

 lias even been supposed to possess virtues as a febrifuge. The 

 leaves given in substance are said to destroy worms. The dried 

 plant, boiled with alum, dyes wool yellow. 



The common people in France and Germany gather this species 

 of St. John 's-nort with great ceremony on St. John's day, and 

 hang it in their windows, as a charm against storms, thunder, and 

 evil spirits ; mistaking the meaning of some medical writers, 

 who have fancifully given this plant the name of Fuga Dcemo- 

 num, from a supposition that it was good in maniacal and hypo- 

 chondriacal disorders. Formerly it was also carried about by the 

 people of Scotland as a charm against witchcraft and enchant- 

 ment ; and they fancy it cures ropy milk, which they suppose to 

 be under some malignant influence, by milking afresh upon the 

 herb. Kine and goats eat it, but horses and sheep refuse it. 



Far. j3,latiglanduldsum (D.C. prod. 1. p. 550.) glands broader 

 and fewer ; leaves more crowded at the top ; panicles more 

 straight and fewer flowered. 



Var. y, elatum (D. C. 1. c.) stem taller, with more distant in- 

 ternodes ; leaves smaller, with revolute margins ; branches 

 straighter ; panicles loose, few-flowered. 



Var. S, punctatum (D. C. prod. 1. p. 550.) stem dwarfer ; 

 sepals blunter, sometimes with glandular margins ; corolla with 

 black dots. 



Var. t, microphyllum (D.C. 1. c.) all parts of the plant are more 

 crowded and smaller ; panicles straight, many-flowered. 



Var. , albiflbrum (D. C. 1. c.) flowers white. 



Perforated or Common St. John's-wort. Fl. June, Sept. Brit. 

 PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



105 H. QUINQUENE'RVIUM (Walt. fl. carol. 190.) stem tetra- 

 gonal ; leaves somewhat stem-clasping, ovate, obtuse, obscurely 

 5-nerved, full of pellucid dots, which are acute on the under 

 surface ; corymbs dichotomous ; sepals linear-lanceolate. I/ . H. 

 Native from Canada to Carolina in overflowed places and on 

 Mount Quindiu in South America. H. stellarioides, H. B. et 

 Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 196. H. parviflorum, Willd. spec. 

 3. p. 1456. H. mutilum, Willd. spec. 3. p. 1471. Corolla 

 shorter than the calyx. 



Five-nerved-\eaved St. John's-wort. Fl. June, Sept. Clt 

 1759. PI. 1 foot. 



106 H. THYMIFOLIUM (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. 

 p. 186. t. 455.) stem shrubby; branches dichotomous; leaves 

 oblong, small, bluntish, full of pellucid dots ; sepals oblong ; 

 styles free ; stigmas peltate, fj . G. Native of South America 

 near Santa Fe de Bogota ? 



Thyme-leaved St. John's-wort. Shrub. 



107 H. BREVI'STYLUM (Chois. prod. hyp. p. 51. t. 7.) stem 

 prostrate, slender ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, rather blunt, full 

 of pellucid dots ; panicles few-flowered ; sepals lanceolate ; 

 styles connected, very short ; stigmas capitate. l/.F. Native 

 of South America. 



Short-styled St. John's-wort. PI. prostrate. 



108 H. ELONGA'TUM (Ledeb. ex Spreng. syst. 3. p. 347.) 

 branches round ; leaves sessile, linear, glaucous, without dots, 

 with revolute margins ; peduncles opposite ; sepals blunt, striated, 

 entire ; petals large, with glandular margins. If. . H. Native 

 of Siberia in the Kirghisean Steppe at Lake Saisan. 



Elongated St. John's-wort. PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



109 H. DENTICULA'TUM (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. 

 p. 191. t. 458.) stem ascending; leaves linear-lanceolate, with 

 retrograde teeth at the margins ; flowers decandrous ; sepals 

 oblong-lanceolate ; petals obovate-cuneated ; styles free, very 

 short ; stigmas subcapitate. !{. . F. Native of Mexico near 

 Guanaxuato. 



Toothletted-leaved St. John's-wort. PI. 1 foot. 



110 H. CERVANTE'SII (Willd. herb, ex Spreng. syst. 3. p. 

 347.) stem erect, 2-edged at the apex, dichotomous; leaves 

 stem- clasping, linear, acuminate, with revolute margins ; flowers 

 cymose, leaning to one side ; sepals lanceolate, entire. 1 . F. 

 Native of Mexico. 



Cervantes's St. John's-wort. PL 1 foot. 



111 H. LALA'NDII (Chois. mss. D. C. prod. 1. p. 50.) stem 

 tetragonal, with black dots ; leaves lanceolate, acute, with revo- 

 lute margins, rather stem-clasping, and pressed against the stem ; 

 panicle few-flowered, dichotomous ; sepals linear-lanceolate, 

 longer than the corolla ; styles 3, free. 7 . G. Native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



Laland's St. John's-wort. PI. ? 



112 H. SILENOI'DES (Juss. ann. mus. 3. p. 162. t. 16. f. 3.) 

 leaves lanceolate, with revolute edges ; flowers leaning to one 

 side; sepals narrow, acute, glandular. 2.G. Native of Peru 

 on the Andes. Panicle dichotomous. 



Silene-like St. John's-wort. PI. 1 foot. 



113 H. INDE'CORUM. (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 

 193.) stem branched at the base; branches elongated, tetra- 

 gonal ; flowers usually pentandrous ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, dotted ; stigmas somewhat capitate. I/ . F. Native of 

 South America near Loxa. 



Var. /3, paniculatum (D.C. prod. 1. p. 550.) stem straight, 

 many-flowered ; flowers small, pentandrous or heplandrous ; 

 petals linear. 3J. F. Native of South America near Ario. 

 H. paniculatum, H. B. et Kunth. nov. gen. 5. p. 195. t. 459. 



Indecorous St. John's-wort. PI. 1 foot. 



114 H. CANADE'NSE (Lin. spec. 1104.) stem herbaceous, 

 straight, 4-winged ; leaves linear, bluntish, full of very fine 

 pellucid dots, but with black ones beneath ; panicles elongated, 

 dichotomous ; sepals lanceolate ; styles very short ; capsules 

 conical, red. If. . H. Native of North America from Canada 

 to Carolina, and of Mexico, in low gravelly places. Flowers 

 very small. 



Var. ft, minimum (D. C. prod. 1. p. 550.) much smaller in 

 stature ; flowers fewer. H. thesiifolium, pauciflorum and Mo- 

 ranense of H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. 5. p. 192 and 193. appear 

 to be only varieties of this plant. Tf.. F. Native of Mexico. 



Canadian St. John's-wort. Fl. June, Aug. Clt. 1770. PI. 



foot. 



