KEY TO THE COMMONLY CULTIVATED HYPERICUMS 77 



Hypericum. The St. John's-worts are an. extensive genus (200 spe- 

 cies) of herbs, shrubs, and trees with more or less dotted, opposite, entire- 

 edged leaves and showy yellow flowers with many stamens. The 5 oblique- 

 edged yellow petals, many stamens (frequently united into groups), and 

 the transparent-dotted opposite leaves are the peculiarities which will 



.■•y^^ 



Fig. 47. — Creeping St. John's-Wort. 



Fio. 



48. — Small-Leaved 

 Hypericum. 



separate these plants from all others. About a dozen species are in culti- 

 vation. Several species are evergreen in the North, and others additional 

 to these hold their leaves through the winter South. Some are trailing 

 plants spreading over the bare ground, others are erect shrubs 5 to 6 feet 

 high. They flower from July to October, but most bloom in early August 

 when but few flowers are seen in the shrubbery. 



[Seeds ; suckers ; twig cuttings.] 



KEY TO THE COMMONLY CULTIVATED 

 HYPEEICUMS 



* Stem round ; leaves about evergreen ; pistil with 5 styles ; flowers 

 golden yellow ; hardy south of New York. (A.) 

 A. Flowers 2-3 inches broad, petals thick and orbicular, stamens in 

 5 clusters, August ; leaves sometimes 4 inches long ; slightly 



