72 HYPERICINEJE. [Hypericum. 



rarely a berry. Seeds exalbuminous ; embryo straight or curved. — Distrib. 

 Temp, and mountains of warm regions ; genera 8 ; species 210. — Affini- 

 ties. Close with G-uttiferce and Ternstroemiacece, less close with Elatincoz. 

 Properties. Drastic purgatives, astringents, and tonics. 



1. HYPER'ICUM, L. St. John's Wort. 



Herbs, shrubs, or small trees. Leaves sessile, often gland-dotted. 

 Flowers cymose, yellow, not honeyed, homogamous. Sepals 5. Petals 5, 

 generally very oblique. Ovary 1-celled with 3 or 5 parietal, or 3-5-celled 

 with axile placentas ; styles distinct or connate ; ovules many in the 

 cells, rarely few. Capsule (rarely a berry) septicidal, placentas adhering 

 to the edges of the valves or to the axis. Seeds oblong ; embryo 

 straight or incurved. — Distrib. All temp, regions ; species 160. — Etym. 

 obscure. 



Section 1. Sepals i5, unequal. Peta Is deciduous. Stamens connate in 

 5 bundles at the very base only, without intervening glands. Ovary 

 incompletely 3- or 5-celled. 



1. H. Andros senium, L. ; shrubby, leaves sessile ovate or oblong, 

 cymes corymbose few-fld., petals very oblique, styles 3 recurved. Tutsan. 

 Thickets, from Ross southd. ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. June-Aug. — 



Glabrous. Stem 1-2 ft., compressed, 4-angled. Leaves 1-3 in., obtuse 

 or acute, glands very minute close. Floxvers §-f in. diam. Sepals obtuse, 

 glandular, but not on the margins, about as long as the petals and stamens. 

 Berry globose, black, incompletely 3-celled. — Distrib. Mid. and S. Europe, 

 N. Africa, W. Asia. 



H. calyci'num, L. ; shrubby, leaves sessile oblong obtuse, flowers sub- 

 solitary shortly pedicelled, styles 5 straight. 

 Hedges and thickets, in various places, naturalized ; fl. July-Sept. — Glabrous, 



extensively creeping. Stem 10-16 in., subsimple, compressed, 4-angled. 



Leaves 2-4 in., coriaceous, glands rather large scattered. Flowers 3-4 in. 



diam. Outer sepals orbicular, half as long as the petals. Capsule ovoid, 



5-celled towards the base. — Distrib. S.E. Europe. 



Section 2. Sepals 5, connate at the base. Petals persistent. Stamens 

 connate in 3 bundles at the very base only, without intervening glands. 

 Ovary completely 3-celled. Capsule septicidal. 



* Margins of sepals entire ■or' toothed, eylandular. 



2. H. perforatum, L. ; stem erect 2-ridged, leaves linear or oblong 

 obtuse, glands and veins pellucid, reticulations opaque, sepals glandular, 

 styles as long as the capsule. 



Copses and hedgebanks, N. to Sutherland; ascends to 1,000 ft. in Yorks. ; 

 Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. July-Sept.— Glabrous. Stems 1-3 ft., 

 branched above, slender, strict, light brown. Leaves f-1 in. Cymes 

 corymbose, many-flowered. Flowers 1 in. diam. Sepals acute, entire, or 

 slightly serrate in a narrow-leaved var. (anymtifolium, Bab.). Petals much 



