64 THE FLORA OF THE ALPS 



The beautiful Touch-me-not, /. noli tangere, L., is 

 frequent in damp rocky woods. In addition to the 

 handsome pitcher- shaped pale yellow flowers dotted 

 with red, it bears very small inconspicuous apetalous 

 flowers, with a cap-like calyx, which are self-fertilised, 

 and which produce fertile capsules in the autumn. 



Order XXI L HYPERICACE^E. 



Flowers regular, usually in terminal cymes; sepals 

 and petals 5 each; stamens very numerous, the fila- 

 ments united in their lower part into 3 or 5 bundles; 

 ovary of 3 or 5 carpels, with the same number of 

 styles; seed-vessel usually a capsule; leaves opposite, 

 often dotted. A moderate-sized order, belonging chiefly 

 to the temperate zone ; very few alpine species. 



i. HYPERICUM, L. 



Petals usually oblique, always yellow ; leaves sessile, 

 often dotted with glands. 



A. Stamens in three bundles; leaves in whorls of 

 3 or 4 : H. Coris, L. ; petals glandular-ciliate, leaves 

 linear ; rocky slopes, rare ; Glarus, Tirol. 



B. Stamens in three bundles ; leaves opposite. To this 

 section belong nearly all the British species of St. John's 

 Wort, most of which are also found in Switzerland, 

 viz. : H. perforatum, L., with 2-ridged stem and very 

 glandular leaves ; very common. H. quadrangulum, L., 

 with square stem and bright yellow petals spotted with 

 black. H. tetrapterum, Fr., with square stem and pale 

 yellow petals, not spotted. H.pulchrum, L. (Northern 



