St. John's Worts 



and apparently not over-hardy, three large flowers open 

 and bloom together, and the vividness of the effect is 

 enhanced because the stamens carry red anthers instead 

 of the usual yellow ones. It is a striking shrub where 

 it will flourish, but it seems to need some shelter and 

 coddling. 



The Chinese species, H. chinensis, again rather 

 tender, is particularly attractive, because the stamens of its 

 flowers flowers almost as large as those of H. calycinurn 

 stretch far beyond the petals like so many golden rays. 



The Japanese species, H.patulum, brought to Eng- 

 land by Oldham about half a century ago, has also 

 large flowers whose petals ^overlap. It is very like 

 H. Hookerianum, but the contour of its branchlets is 

 angled, not rounded. It is chiefly interesting because 

 it is one parent H. calycinum being the other of a 

 very desirable dwarf hybrid, H. Moserianum. This 

 hybrid was raised about 1887 in a nursery at Versailles, 

 by a M. Moser, hence its name, and it carries flowers 

 almost as beautiful and large as those of H. calycinum, 

 while the charm is enhanced by the flowers being set 

 in clusters, though usually not more than one flower is 

 in perfection at the same time. It is a hardy little 

 shrub " a bed at Kew stood unchanged for 20 years 

 only protected by dry leaves during hard frost," says 

 Mr. Bean. 



The Nepalese Tutsan, or Myrtle-leaved St. John's 



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