, 84 HYPERICACEiE. Ascyrum. 



Group 4. Ovary compound, with the placentce parietal, or 2 - b-celled from their 

 meeting in the axis : styles distinct or partly united. Estivation of the ccdyx 

 imhricaied. Stamens and petals inserted on the receptacle. Seeds ivith a 

 straight embryo and little or no albumen. 



Order XVII. HYPERICACEiE. Juss. The St. John's-wort Tribe. 



Calyx of 4 - 5 sepals, which are distinct or somewhat united at the base ; the 'J 

 exterior often smaller. Petals as many as the sepals, and alternate with them ; 

 the veins oblique ; asstivation twisted. Stamens usually numerous, and more 

 or less cohering at the base in three or more parcels ; anthers fixed by the 

 middle, introrse. Styles distinct or partly united : stigmas simple or somewhat 

 capitate. Fruit either baccate, or more commonly a capsule with 2 — 5 valves 

 and a septicidal dehiscence, 2 - 5-celled with the placentas in the axis, or 1- 

 celled with the placentae nearly or quite parietal. Seeds very numerous 

 (rarely few), straight or a little curved, anatropous : albumen none, but the 

 tegmen sometimes fleshy. "Embryo cylindrical, straight. — Shrubs or herbs, or 

 sometimes trees with a resinous juice, and dotted with small pellucid or black 

 immersed glands. Leaves opposite, entire, destitute of stipules. Inflorescence 

 various. Flowers commonly yellow. 



Tribe I. HYPERICE^. Choisy. 

 Fruit capsular. Seeds terete or roundish. — Herbs or skruhhy plants. Leaves mostly sessile. 



1. ASCYRUM. Linn.; Choisy, pirodr. Hyper., and in DC. prodr. 1. p. 55; Endl. gen. 



5463. ST. PETER'S WORT. 



[ Name from the Greek, a, privative, s.nA shjros, roughness; the plant being smooth to the touch.] 



Sepals 4 ; the 2 exterior usually broad and foliaceous ; the inner much smaller. Petals 4, 

 caducous. Filaments slightly united at the base into several parcels. Styles 2-3 (rarely 

 4), sometimes united. Capsule 1-celled, 2 - 3-valved : placentae parietal. — Shrubby or 

 suii'ruticose plants. Leaves sprinkled with both black and pellucid dots. Flowers 1-3, 

 at the summit of the branches, yellow ; a pair of subulate bracteoles at the base of each 

 flower. 



1. Ascyrum stans, Michx. Upright St. Peters Wort, 



Stem ancipital and somewhat winged, straight, erect, dichotomously branched at the sum- 

 mit ; leaves oblong, closely sessile, somewhat clasping, obtuse, a little glaucous ; flowers on 



