V28 



POPULAR FLOEA. 



14. ST. JOHN'S-WOET FAMILY. Order HYPERICACE^.. 

 Herbs or low shrubs, with the leaves all opposite and dotted, as if punctured, with trans- 

 parent or dark-colored dots, one or both ; the juice generally acrid. Flowers with 4 or 5 

 persistent sepals, as manj petals, and more numerous, commonly a great number of sta- 

 mens, and in 3 or 6 clusters, borne on the receptacle. Styles 2 to 5, commonly separate, or 

 sometimes all united into one. Ovary only one, in fruit a pod, either one-celled with 2 to 



5 (commonly 3) parietal pla- 

 centas, or with as many cells 

 and the placentas in the inner 

 angle of each cell (Fig. 189, 

 190), when ripe splitting through 

 the partitions (Fig. 212). 



298 297 299 300 301 



297. Flowers, &c. of St Johii's-wort No. 4. 29S Pistil of 3 united. 299. Pod cut across. 300. Plan of the flower of Marah SL 

 Johii'B-wort, ui a cross flection of tlie bud. 301, Ojic of tilt cluatera of three stamens. 



Sepals 5, all neadj' alike in size and shape. 



Petals 5, flesh-colored, oblong,'equal-sided, stamens about 9, in three sets, and a thick 



gland between each set, {Elod'ea) Harsh St. John's-wort. 



Petals 5, yellow, unequal-sided. Stamens generally many, {Hypericum) St. John's-wokt. 



■Sepals 4, in two pairs, one pair large, the other small; petals 4, {A'scyrum) St. Petek's-wokt. 



St. John's-wort. Hypericum. 

 * Stamens very many, in 5 sets. Styles 5, rarely 6 or 7. 



1. Great St. John's-wokt. Perennial herb, witK stems branched, 3° to 5° high; leaves closely 



sessile, oblong; petals 1' long, narrow. N. & W. H. pyramidaimn, 



* # Stamens'very many. Styles 3 or splitting into 3. Perennials or shrubs. 



2. Shecbby S. Shrub 1° to 4° high, very bushy; branchlets 2-edged; leaves lance-oblong; styles 



at first all united into one (Fig. 190), when old splitting into three. W. & S. H. proliflcum. 



8. Naked-flowered S. Shrubby at the base, V to 4° high; branches sharply 4-angled; leaves 



oblong; cyme stalked and naked. S. & W. H. nudifibrnm. 



i. Common S. Herb 1° or 2° high, bushy .branched ; stem somewhat 2-edged; leaves narrow-oblong, 



with transparent dots ; sepals lance-shaped ; petals bright yellow. A weed in pastures, &c. 



H. perjbrdtum' 



