74 



ARBORETUM ET FRUTICETLM BRITANNICUM. 



Spec. Char., Sfc. Flowers almost sessile. Leaves obovate- 

 lanceolate, pubescent beneath, somewhat serrated, 

 membranaceous. Petals and sepals rather silky on the 

 outside. (^Don's Mill.) A deciduous tree in America, 

 in Britain a shrub. Georgia and Florida. Height in 

 America 30 ft. to 50 ft. ; in England i ft. to 6 ft. In- 

 troduced in 1774. Flowers large, white, fragrant, 3 in. 

 across, with yellow filaments ; May to August. Capsule 

 globose, brownish ; ripe in October. 



Somewhat hardier than the preceding species, but 

 requiring the same general treatment. 



111. Gordonm pub^scens. 



Order XII. i^YPERICA^CE^. 



Ord. Char. Sepals 4 or 3, unequal, with an imbricate asstivation. Stamens, in 

 neai'ly all, numerous, and in 3 or more parcels. Fruit, a capsule or berry of 

 many valves and many cells ; the edges of the valves curved inwards. Seeds 

 attached to a placenta in the axis, or on the inner edge of the dissepiments. 

 Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; entire, co- 

 piously dotted with immersed, pellucid, resinous glands. Flowers terminal 

 or axillary, generally yellow. Sap yellow, resinous. Shrubs, natives of 

 Europe, North America, and Asia. The genera in British gardens are two, 

 which are thus contradistinguished : 



i/vPE'RicuM L. Capsule membranous. Stamens polyadelphous. 

 ^NDROs.\'auM Chois. Capsule baccate. Stamens monadelphous. 



Genus I. 



i/YPE'RICUM L. The St. John's Wort. Lfw. 5^5^ Polyadelph. Polyand. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 392. ; Juss., 2.5.5. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 543. ; Don's Mill., l.p. 601. 



Synonymes. Fuga Djeraonum ; Mille Pertuis, Fr. ; Johanniskraut, Gfr. ; Iperico, /;/. 



Derivations. The name of Hypericum is as old as the time of Dioscorides ; but its origin and mean- 

 ing are uncertain. Some derive it from the Greek words huper. under, and eikon, an image ; and 

 suppose it to signify that the upper part of the flower represents a figure. Others state that huper 

 signifies through, and that the name alludes to the pellucid dots in'the leaves, which form small 

 lenses, through which, when held up to the light, images might be seen. The French name of the 

 plant, Mille Pertuis, a thousand pores, is evidently derived from the same source. The English 

 name, St. John's Wort, and the German one, Johanniskraut, are taken from the country people 

 formerly, both in England and Germany, being in the habit of gathering this plant on St. John's 

 day, to use it to protect themselves from evil spirits. This plant, with some others, was emplojed 

 to make what was called John's fire, which was supposed to be a security, for those who kindled it, 

 against witchcraft and all attacks of demons. For this reason, also, the ifypericum received the 

 name of Fuga Da;monum. 



Gen. Char. Capsules membranous. Stamens numerous, free or joined at 

 the bases into 3 or 5 bundles. Petals 5. Sepals 5, more or less connected 

 at the base, unequal, rarely equal. Sti/les 3 to 5, rarely connate in one, 

 permanent. Capsule 1- or many-celled, many- seeded, 3 5-valved. Integu- 

 ment of seed double. Embryo with the radicle situated at the umbilicus, 

 and with semicylindrical cotyledons. (^Don's Mill.) 



Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, sub-evergreen or deciduous; ovate- 

 oblong or lanceolate, sessile or subsessile, usually full of pellucid dots on 

 their disks, and some dark ones on their edges, lodging an essential oil. 

 Flowers terminal, racemose, yellow. Low sub-evergreen shrubs; natives 

 of Europe, North America, and Asia ; of easy culture in common soil ; 

 and propagated by division, suckers, cuttings, or seeds. 



