44 HYPERICACE<£. 



1. HYPERICUM. Linn. St. Johns Wort. 



Sepals 5, more or less united at the base, mostly equal, 

 leaf-like. Petals 5, oblique and often without equal sides. 

 Stamens numerous or few united or clustered in 3 to 5 par- 

 cels without interposed glands. Styles 3 to 5, distinct, cr 

 united at base, persistent. Capsule membranaceous, 1 or 

 3 to 5-celled. — Herbs or shrubs with opposite entire leaves, 

 punctate with pellucid dots, and yellow flowers; solitary, or 

 in cymose pa n ides. 



• Stamens 20 to 100. Styles 3 to 5. Flowers mostly terminal, larye, yellow : herba- 

 ceous perennials. 



1. H. ptramidatum, Ait. Giant St. John's Wort. 



Stem square, branching above; leaves oblong-lanceolate, sessile, somewhat clapp- 

 ing, acute, smooth, pellucid-punctate; sepals oyate-lanceolate ; ityles free, as long 

 as the stamens ; s?cds numerous. 



River banks and hills. July, Aug. A large flowering perennial species, 3 to 5 

 feet high, scarcely angular, smooth, rigid and herbaceous. Floicers 1}4 inches in 

 diameter, showy, few or solitary at the ends of the branches. Stamens capillary 

 100 or more. Capsules 1 inch long, tipped with the 5 styles uvcid-ccrical. 



2. H. CORYMBOSUM, Muhl. Spotted St. John's Wort. 



Stem erect, punctate ; leaves clasping, oblong-oval, obtuse, covered with black 

 dots; sepals ovat. 1 . acute: petals oblong. 



Shady woods and wet meadows. June. July. Stan \)A to 2 feet high, Mack 

 punctate. Leaves 1 to 2 inches long. Flowers small, numerous; pale yellow, in 

 p compact panicle or corymb. Petals nearly 3 times as long as the sepals, with 

 oblong black dots. Styles 3, longer than the* stamens. Stigmas orange red. 



3. H. ellipticum, Hook. Elliptic St. John's Wort. 



Stems square, simple, cymose at summit; leaves elliptical, cbtuse. closely sessile, 

 scarcely punctate; cymes nearly leafless, few-fiowcrcd, depressed; sepals very 

 unequal, spreading ; styles 3, united nearly to the top ; capsules ovoid-globose. 



Moist grounds. July. Stem 10 to 20 inches high, colored at base. Leaves 1 inch 

 Ion?, somewhat erect. * Floivers orange-yellow. Petals acutish. Stic mas minute. 

 Pods purplish. 



4. H. perforatum, L. Common St. John's Wort. 



Stem- &edge • and corymbed : leaves elliptical-oval, obtuse, and with the 



tepals pellucid-punctate; flowers panicled; sepals lanceolate \' z as long as tho 

 petal--; sft I % 3. diverging. 



June — August. A pernicious plant introduced from EuTope. but thoroughly 

 naturalized, growing in pasture fields, much to the annoyance of farmers. Stem* 

 1 to 2 feet hicrh, with opposite spreading: branches, erect, round, with 2 opposite, 

 elevated lines extending between the nodes. Flowers numerous, deep-yellow, and 

 In terminal panicles. 



** Stamens 20 to 100. Styles moreor less united. Shrubly perennials. 



5. H. adpressum, Barton. Winged St. Johns Wort. 



Stem 2-winged above, shrubby at base : leaves linear-lanceolate or linear-oblong, 

 ■essile with pellucid punctures; cyme 10 to 20-flower*d, naked; sepals very un»- 

 qnal, *4 as long as the oblong-obovate petals; styles united; capsules 3-celled. 



Swamps. July, Aug. Stein 2 feet high. Flowers in compound cymes about Y % 

 lush in diameter, with very numerous stamens. 



