ST. JOHN'S WORT TRIBE 53 



numerous ; filaments united into 3 or 5 sets ; styles 3 or rarely 5 ; 

 capsule 3 or 5-celled. (Name from the Greek, hypericon, the name 

 of the plant.) 



I. Hypekicum (St. John's^ Wort) 



1. H. calyciniim (Large-ifowered St. John's Wort). — A low shrub 

 about a foot high, with oblong, blunt leaves, and handsome yellow 

 flowers 3-4 inches across ; stamens in 5 sets and very numerous ; 

 stems usually not branched, but sometimes once branched low 

 down. Common in gardens and shrubberies, and naturalized in 

 several places. — Fl. July to September. Perennial. 



2. H. (indrosiemiim (Common Tutsan). — Stem shrubby, two- 

 edged ; leaves egg-shaped, sessile ; sepals brbad, unequal ; styles 3 ; 

 capsule berry-like. A handsome shrubby plant, 2-3 feet high, 

 conspicuous with clusters of largish yellow flowers, and afterwards 

 with glossy, berry-like capsules. The leaves have a strong resinous 

 smell, which they retain for some time after clrying. Woods and 

 hedges in the south and west of Great Britain, but not very common. 

 — Fl. July. Perennial. 



3. H. perforatum (Perforated St. John's Wort). — Stem herba- 

 ceous, erect, 2-edged, about 18 inches high ; leaves elliptic-oblong, 

 copiously perforated with pellucid dots ; sepals erect, lanceolate, 

 acute, with glandular dots ; petals marked with black dots ; styles 

 3. The yellow flowers in a terminal corymb. Woods and hedges, 

 common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



4. H. dubmm (Imperforate St. John's Wort). — Stem herbaceous, 

 erect, 4-sided, with rounded angles ; leaves destitute of dots ; sepals 

 reflexed, elliptical, blunt. Mountainous places ; very like the last, 

 but not so common, and well distinguished by the above charac- 

 ters. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



5. H. quadrangulum (Square-stalked St. John's Wort). — Best 

 distinguished from the last two, which it much resembles, by the 

 prominently 4-angled stems. Leaves oblong, egg-shaped, with 

 pellucid dots ; sepals erect, lanceolate ; stem 1-2 feet high, erect, 

 lierbaceous, with flat panicles of pale yellow flowers. Wet places, 

 common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



:6. H. humifusum (Trailing St. John's Wort). — Stems prostrate ; 

 leaves oblong, obtuse, perforated with pellucid dots ; flowers some- 

 what cymose, small, pale yellow ; .stamens not numerous ; petals 

 and sepals with a few black dots ; stems 3-9 inches long. Walls 

 and gravelly banks, common. — Fl. July, August. Perennial. 



7. H. linarifolium (Flax-leaved St. John's Wort). — A rare species, 

 with slender erect stems g or 10 inches high ; very narrow leaves, 

 marked with a few black dots beneath ; and corymbs of bright 

 yellow flowers, larger than in H. humi/usmii ; stamens about 30. 



