Hypericum. HYPERICACE^E. g]_ 



feet flowers with the 4 or 5 petals and numerous stamens hypogynous, the fruit a 

 septicidal many-seeded capsule. Calyx of 4 or 5 persistent sepals, imbricated in 

 the bud. Petals as many, almost always oblique and convolute in the bud, decidu- 

 ous or withering, usually glandular-punctate. Filaments mostly in 3 sets or bun- 

 dles. Styles 2 to 5, usually distinct or becoming so : stigmas terminal, generally 

 capitate. Ovary and capsule with 2 to 5 parietal placentae, or 2-5-celled by their 

 union in the axis. Seeds anatropous, with a somewhat crustaceous coat, filled by the 

 straight cylindraceous embryo. 



A rather small but widely dispersed order, of which the following is the largest genus and the 

 only one occurring in California. 



1. HYPERICUM, Linn. ST. JOHN'S-WORT. 



Sepal's and petals 5. Stamens numerous, usually connate at base into 3 to 8 

 clusters. Ovary 1 -celled, with 3 to 5 more or less prominent parietal placentae, 

 rarely 3 - 5-celled by the union of the placentae with the axis. Capsule septicidal 

 (in our species tricarpellary), many-seeded. Seeds mostly straight and cylindrical. 

 Our species (like most of the genus) are smooth herbaceous perennials, with 

 sessile entire punctate leaves, and yellow cymose flowers. 



A genus of about 160 species, widely dispersed, but chiefly through the northern temperate 

 zone. Of the 30 North American species all but the following are confined to the Atlantic and 

 Gulf States. 



1. H. Scouleri, Hook. Stems erect, from a running rootstock, | to 2 feet high, 

 terete, simple or sparingly branched : leaves ovate to oblong, clasping, usually obtuse, 

 an inch long or less : flowers rather few, in an open cyme, black-punctate : sepals 

 ovate, obtuse or acute, 2 lines long : petals 3 to 5 lines long : stamens in 3 fascicles, 

 very numerous (60 or more) : styles elongated : capsule 3-celled. Fl. i. Ill ; Torr. 

 & Gray, Fl. i. 160. 



By streams in the mountains, from S. California and eastward (San Diego, Cleveland ; Sonora, 

 Thurbcr ; New Mexico, Fendler) to British America. Very closely resembling the Mexican H. 

 formosum, HBK. , Nov. Gen. v. 196, t. 460, which is perhaps distinguished by its longer narrow 

 acuminate sepals and fewer (30 to 40) stamens. 



2. H. concinnum, Benth. Stems ascending from a somewhat woody branching 

 base, 3 to G inches high : leaves oblong to linear, acute, \ to 1 inch long, not clasp- 

 ing, usually folded : flowers in small cymes, black-punctate : sepals ovate, acuminate, 



2 to 4 lines long : petals 5 to 7 lines long : stamens very numerous, in 3 fascicles. 

 - PI. Hartw. 300 ; Torrey, Bot. Wilkes Exp. 240. H. bracteatum, Kellogg, Proc. 



Calif. Acad. i. 65. 



Central California, probably in dry places in the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada ; rather rarely 

 collected : " Sacramento Valley " (Hartweg) ; Marysville and Placer Co. (Pratten, Kellogg) ; Mt. 

 Plumas, Pickering ; &c. 



3. H. anagalloides, Cham. & Schlecht. Stems numerous, weak and slender, 

 procumbent or ascending, rooting at the lower joints, 1 to 10 inches long, simple or 

 dichotomously branched : leaves broadly ovate or elliptical to oblong, 2 to 6 lines 

 long, obtuse, clasping : flowers small, in leafy or naked, simple and few-flowered or 

 compound cymes, not glandular or punctate : sepals herbaceous or foliaceous, 1 to 



3 lines long, unequal, rounded to lanceolate, obtuse or acute, exceeding the petals : 

 stamens 15 to 20, distinct: styles short: capsule 1 -celled. Linnaea, iii. 127; 

 Torr. & Gray, Fl. i. 167 and 674. 



From San Francisco to the British boundary; Lassen's Peak and Sierra Co., Lemmon. A small 

 species in moist places, sometimes covering large tracts. 



