150 HARDY PERENNIALS AND 



Hypericum Calycinum. 



LARGE -CALYXED ST. JOHN'S WORT, or ROSE OF SHARON; Nat. 



Ord. HYPERICACE^:. 



A VERY ornamental deciduous shrub, but often green through- 

 out the winter. This 1 claim the privilege of introducing 

 amongst herbaceous perennials ; it is a well-known and favourite 

 " old-fashioned " flower, in fact, a native of Ireland. The old 

 name for it was " Cup St. John's Wort." In July it is in splendid 

 form, and, familiar as we are with it, it never fails to win admira- 

 tion. How charming are its large, shining, golden blossoms, 

 nestling amongst the bright but glaucous foliage ! the bundled 

 tassels composed of numerous filamentary stamens glisten- 

 ing like threads of gold ; and though often seen one can never 

 tire of it. As a flower, it is distinct in form, showy, and richly 

 effective. 



It grows to the height of 1ft. or 18in. ; the flowers are 4in. 

 across, of a rich golden-yellow colour, and produced singly on the 

 very leafy stems which, at the base or at their more woody parts, 

 are square, the upper parts being nearly round. Short flower- 

 stalks issue from the side and near the top, a small new growth 

 being produced in juxtaposition with the blossom, the said 

 growth being composed of half-a-dozen or so smaller-sized leaves 

 of a pale apple-green, charmingly suffused with a glaucous hue. 

 The calyx of five sepals is very large, whence the specific name, 

 and each sepal is nearly round and cupped, whence the old com- 

 mon name, " Cup St. John's Wort " ; the five petals are 2in. long 

 and widely apart ; stamens very numerous, long, thready, and 

 arranged in tufts. These are very beautiful, and form the most 

 conspicuous part of the flower ; like the other seed organs, and 

 also the petals, they are of a rich, glistening, yellow colour. 

 The leaves are closely arranged in pairs, opposite, and nearly 

 sessile ; they are 2in. to Sin. long, and about lin. broad, oval- 

 oblong, blunt, smooth, and leathery. When young, they are 

 as above described, but when older, they are of a dark, shining 

 green colour, and somewhat reflexed. The under sides are finely 

 reticulated or veined, and sometimes the foliage is spotted with 

 brown. The habit of the shrub is neat, the short stems being 

 numerous and semi-prostrate, forming dense, even masses of 

 verdant foliage. 



Such a subject as this cannot be too highly esteemed on the 

 score of the merits already set forth ; but there are other good 

 qualities which I will briefly refer to presently. There can be 

 little doubt that the fine parts and many uses, decorative and 

 otherwise, of most of the " old-fashioned " flowers have much to do 

 with the high and continued esteem in which they are held. Not 

 one of the least recommendations of this St. John's Wort is that 

 it can be grown with great success under the shade of trees. It 



