[66 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Key to the New York State Species of the Saint John's-wort Family 



Sepals four, in unequal pairs; petals also four 



Stems erect, i to 2 feet high; leaves clasping, styles three to four 



1 Ascyrum stans 



Stems diffusely branched, 5 to 10 inches high; leaves sessile; styles two 



2 Ascyrum hypericoides 

 Sepals and petals usually five 



Petals pink or greenish purple, imbricated in the bud; leaves sessile; capsules red- 

 purple 3 Triadenum virginicum 



Petals yellow, convolute in the bud 



Leaves reduced to minute appressed scales. ..4 Sarothra gentianoides 

 Leaves normal 



Styles five, large perennials 



Flowers 1 to 2 inches broad; capsules three-fourths of an inch long 



5 Hypericum ascyron 

 Flowers one-half to 1 inch broad; capsules about one-half of an inch 



long 6 Hypericum kalmianum 



Styles three or rarely four 



Tall leafy shrubs with numerous flowers 



Flowers one-half to three-fourths of an inch broad; pods one-third 



to one-half of an inch long ...7 Hypericum prolificum 



Flowers one-third to one-half of an inch broad; pods one-sixth to 



one-fourth of an inch long ...8 Hypericum densiflorum 



Herbaceous perennials, or woody at the base only 



Stamens numerous (fifteen to forty) ; flowers one-fourth to 1 inch 

 broad 

 Capsules one-celled or incompletely three to four-celled 



Capsules incompletely three to four-celled by the pro- 

 jecting placentae; leaves oblong 



9 Hypericum adpressum 

 Capsules strictly one-celled; placentae parietal; styles 



united into a beak, separate above ; leaves elliptic 



10 Hypericum ellipticum 

 Capsules completely three-celled; styles separate 



Leaves linear or oblong; sepals lanceolate. Introduced 

 from Europe 11 Hypericum perforatum 



