Ord. HYPERICACEiE. 



Frutices vel herbas (succo acrido resinoso), exstipulatse, 



foliis oppositis integerrimis punctatis : dicotyledoneac, hypo- 



gynaa, 5 - 4-petalas, regulares, poly-oligandrae ; staminibus 



saepissime 3 - 5-adelphis ; petalis aestivatione convolutis rari- 



usve imbricatis; ovario 2 - 5-carpellavi uniloculari placentis 



pi. m. parietalibus, aut placentis inter se ad axim coalitis 



2— 5-loculari, stylis totidem pi. m. discretis ; ovulis anatro- 



pis ; capsula plerumque septicida et polysperma; seminibus 



exalbuminosis ; cotyledonibus brevibus. 



Hvperica, Juss. Gen. p. 254. 



Hvpericineje, DC. Fl. Fr. Chois. Prodr. Mon. Hyper. & in DC. Trodr. 



1. p. 541. Endl. Gen. p. 1031. 

 Hvpericace.e, Lindl. Introd. Nat. Syst. ed. 2. p. 77. Spach, Suit. Burl'. 



5. p. 335, & in Ann. Sci. Nat. ser. 2. 5. p. 157, 349. 



The St. John's-wort Family is doubtless most nearly related to the 

 tropical order called Guttiferae or Clusiaceae ; but in an extra-tropical Flora 

 it is most conveniently introduced between the Cistaceae and the small family 

 of Elatinaceae. 



Among our hypogynous polypetalous orders it is readily distinguished by 

 the opposite and entire leaves, which are punctate (as also the sepals, petals, 

 &c.) with pellucid dots and usually with dark-colored ones intermixed, and 

 destitute of stipules ; by the regular pentamerous (or in Ascyium alone 

 tetramerous) calyx and corolla ; the prevailingly polyandrous and 3 - 5-adel- 

 phous stamens ; the separate or separable styles ; the septicidal capsule ; 

 and the indefinite and exalbuminous (oblong or cylindrical and straight or 

 somewhat curved) anatropous seeds. The embryo is conformed to the cavity 

 of the rather thick and fleshy inner integument of the seed, which some- 

 times has been mistaken for a thin albumen ; it is oblong or cylindrical, with 

 the obtuse radicle usually much longer than the thick or flattish cotyledons. 

 The foliaceous or herbaceous calyx is persistent, and imbricated in sestiva- 

 tion. The petals are either deciduous or marcescent, and usually oblique 

 and convolute in aestivation, but in Elodea they arc equal-sided and quinruu- 

 cially imbricated. The inflorescence is always cymose. 



