VOI,. II.] 



ST. JOHN'S-WORT FAMILY. 



429 



2. HYPERICUM I,. Sp. PI. 783. 1753. 



Herbs or shrubs, with opposite punctate or black-dotted leaves, and mostly cymose 

 yellow flowers. Sepals 5, equal or nearly so. Petals 5, mainly oblique or contorted, con- 

 volute or imbricated in the bud. Stamens oo , distinct, or more or less united in clusters, 

 sometimes with interposed hypogynous glands. Ovary i-celled, with 3-5 parietal placentae 

 which sometimes project far into the cavity, or 3-5-celled (rarely 6-celled); ovules oo , gen- 

 erally numerous; styles 3-6. Capsule i-5-celled (rarely 6-celled). [The Greek name.] 



About 210 species, of wide geographic distribution. In addition to the following, 12 others 

 occur in the southern and western United States and British America. 

 -X- Styles 5; large perennials; pods s-celled. 

 Flowers i'-z' broad; capsules g"-io" long. 

 Flowers 6"-i2" broad; capsules 3" -6" long. 



* * Styles 3 (rarely 4). 

 t Tall leafy shrubs; pods 3-celled. 



Flowers 6"-8" broad; pods 4" -6" long. 



Flowers 4" -6" broad; pods 2"-$" long. 

 t t Herbaceous, sometimes woody at the base. 



J Stamens numerous (15-40); flowers 3" -12" broad. 

 Capsules i -celled or incompletely 3-4-celled. 



Capsules incompletely 3-4-celled by the projecting placentae. 

 Leaves linear, i"-a" wide. 

 Leaves oblong, 3" -5" wide. 

 Capsules strictly i-celled; placentae parietal. 



Styles united into a beak, separate above; stigmas minute. 

 Leaves linear or linear-oblong; seeds transversely rugose. 

 Nearly simple, erect; pod globose. 

 Branched, decumbent; pod 3-sided. 

 Leaves elliptic; seeds minutely pitted and striate. 

 Styles separate; stigmas capitate; cyme naked. 

 Capsules completely 3-celled; styles separate. 

 Leaves linear or oblong; sepals lanceolate. 

 Leaves broadly oblong, oval or ovate-lanceolate. 

 Sepals ovate; petals 2" -3" long. 

 Sepals lanceolate; petals 5" -7 long. 



J t Stamens few (5-12); flowers #"-3" broad. 

 Leaves spreading or ascending, 3~7-nerved. 

 Cyme leafy-bracted. 

 Cymes subulate-bracted. 



Leaves ovate, oval, oblong or lanceolate, 5-7-nerved. 

 Leaves ovate, oval or oblong; capsule I -2 1 A" long. 



Leaves obtuse; sepals linear-oblong, acutish or obtuse. 

 Leaves acute, or only the lower obtuse; sepals long-acuminate. 



16. H. gymnanthum. 



Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate ; capsule 4" -5" long. 17. H. majus. 

 Leaves linear, obtuse, 3-nerved. 18. H. Canadense. 



Leaves linear, erect, i-nerved. 19. H. Drummondii. 



i. Hypericum Ascyron L. 



Great or Giant St. John's- 



wort. (Fig. 2444.) 



Hvpericum Ascyron L. Sp. PI. 783. 1753. 

 Hypericum pyramidatum Ait. Hort. 

 "Kew. 3: 103. 1789. 



Perennial, herbaceous, erect, 2-6 

 high, branching, the branches often 

 nearly erect, angled. Leaves sessile, 

 clasping, ovate-oblong or ovate- 

 lanceolate, 2 / -5 / long, l /z'-\ l /i f wide, 

 obtuse or acute; cymes terminal, 

 few-flowered; flowers bright yellow, 

 i / -2 / broad; pedicels stout, ^4 / -2 / 

 long; sepals ovate-lanceolate, 4 // -6 // 

 long, acute; petals obovate or ob- 

 lanceolate, tardily deciduous; styles 

 usually 5, united below; stamens nu- 

 merous, united in 5 sets; capsule ovoid, 

 9 // -io // long, 5-celled. 



Banks of streams,western Quebec and 

 Vermont to Manitoba, south to Connec- 

 ticut, northern New Jersey, Illinois, 

 Iowa and Minnesota. Also in northern 

 Europe and Asia. July-Aug. 



j. H. Ascyron. 

 2. H. Kalmianum. 



3. H. prolificum. 



4. H. densfflorum. 



5. H. galioides. 



6. H. adpressum. 



7. H. sphaerocarpum. 



8. H. dolabriforme. 



9. H. ellipticum. 

 to. H. virgatum. 



11. H. perforatum. 



12. H. maculatum. 



13. H. graveolens. 



14. H. boreale. 



15. H. mutilum. 



