Hypericum. IIYPERICACE^:. gj 



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

 sejjticiilal many-seeded capsule. — Calyx of 4 or 5 persistent sepaLs, imbricated in 

 the bud. Petals as many, almost always obli(pie 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 tenniniri, 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 cylindmceous embryo. 



A rather small but widely ilispei-sed order, of which the following is the largest genus and the 

 only one ocmrring in California. 



1. HYPERICUM, Linn. St. John's-wort. 



Sepals 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 placontco with the axis. Capsule septicidal 

 (in our species tricarpcllary), 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 cliicfly throtigli tlie northern tomj>cmte 

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

 Gulf States. 



1. H. Scouleri, Hook. Stems erect, from a running root.'^tock, i to 2 feet high, 

 terete, .simple or sparingly branched : leaves ovate to oblong, chvsping, 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. 

 «fe Gray, Fl. i. IGO. 



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

 Thurher ; New Mexico, Fendle.r) to British America. Very closely resembling the Mexican H. 

 formo.iiini, IIBK., Nov. Con. v. 100, t. 4(10, which is jierhaps distingiiislied liy if.s longer narrow 

 iieuminiite sepnlH and fewer (HO to 40) sfnmenH. 



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

 ba!50, 3 to 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, Pot. Wilkes Exp. 240. //. brarteatum, Kellogg, Proc. 

 Calif Acad. i. 65. 



Central California, probably in dry places in the foothills of the Sieira Nevada ; rather rarely 

 collected : "Sacramento Valley" (Knrtineq) ; Maiysville and Placer Co. {Pra/fev, Krllofja) ; Mt. 

 Plumas, Virkerivq ; kc. 



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

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

 dichotomously branched : leaves broadly ovate or ellijitiral to oblong, 2 to 6 line^ 

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

 compound cymes, not glandidar or punctate : sepals herbaceous or foliaceous, 1 t-o 



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

 stamens in to 20, distinct: styles short: capsule l-celle<l. - Linntra, iii. 127; 

 Torr. S: Cirny, Fl. i. 167 and 674. 



From San Francisco to the British Iwundary ; Ijissen's Peak and Sierra Co., I^mmou. A small 

 species in moist places, sometimes covering large tracts. 



