u 



POl'Li.AR FLORA. 



14. ST. JOHN'S-WORT 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 many petals, and more numerous, commonly a great number of sta- 

 mens, and in 3 or 5 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-c«lled 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). 



297 

 297. Flowers, &c. of St Jolin'a-wort Na. 4 298 Pistil of 3 united. 299. Pod cut across 

 lohn's-wort, in a cross-section of tlie bull. 3tH. (5iic of the clusters of tliree BtameiiB. 



Plan of the flower of Marsh St. 



Sepals 6, all nearlj' 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, (Ehdea) Marsh St. John's-wort. 



Petals 5, yellow, unequal-sided. Staniens generally many, (Hypiricum.) St. John's- woht. 



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



St. John's-wort. Bypericum. 

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



1. Great St. John's-wort. Perennial herb, with stems branched, 8° to B° high; leaves closely 



sessile, oblong; petals 1' long, narrow. N. & W. E. pyrumidalwm. 



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



2. Shrubby 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. E. proUJicmn. 



8, Naked-flowered S. Shrubby at the base, 1° to 4° high; branches sharply 4-angled; leaves 



oblong; cyme stalked and naked. S. & W. E. nudifidi-um. 



4. 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, &o. 



E. perforatum. 



