Hypericum. | XVI. HYPERICINE. 79 
XVI. HYPERICINEA. THE HYPERICUM FAMILY. 
A family confined in Britain to the single genus Hypericum. 
The tropical genera associated with it differ slightly in the 
number of parts, or in the arrangement of the stamens or of 
the seeds, and some are tall shrubs or even trees. The chief 
distinction of the Order from those nearest allied to it lies in 
the stamens, either very numerous or arranged in 3 or 5 clusters 
or bundles. 
I. HYPERICUM. HYPERICUM. 
Herbs, usually perennial (in some exotic species shrubs) often marked 
with glandular dots; the leaves opposite and entire, and no stipules; 
the flowers regular, usually yellow. Sepals 5. Petals 5, hypogynous, 
usually oblique. Stamens indefinite, clustered or shortly united at the 
base into 3 or 5 bundles. Capsule more or less completely divided into 
3 or 5 cells by as many placentas projecting from the sides to the axis, 
and usually opening in 3 or 5 valves. Seeds numerous, small, without . 
albumen. 
An extensive genus, particularly abundant in southern Europe, western 
Asia, and North America, but found also within the tropics, and in 
the southern hemisphere, both in the New and the Old World. The 
glandular dots are of two kinds, the pellucid ones, which can be seen 
by holding up the leaves against the light, and the black ones, which 
are usually on the under side of the leaves round the edge, or on the 
flowers themselves. 
Undershrubs, with large ovate leaves, few flowers, broad 
round sepals, and stamens in 5 bundles. 
Styles 5. Flowers very large . 
Styles 3. Petals not much longer than the calyx . : 
Herbs with numerous flowers, small or narrow sepals, and 
stamens in 3 bundles or clusters. 
Sepals quite entire, or with very few teeth, without black dots. 
Stems erect, above a foot high, bearing a corymb of bright 
yellow flowers. 
. Stems cylindrical or slightly angled. 
Sepals pointed. Leaves with numerous pellucid dots 
Sepals blunt. Leaves with few or no pellucid dots 
3 
4 
Stems distinctly four-sided. 
Sepals broad and blunt, or scarcely pointed ; 4, H, dubium. 
5 
6 
. H. calycinum. 
H, Androsemum. 
poe 
. H. perforatum. 
. H. dubium. 
Sepals narrow and very pointed. Petals pale yellow . H. quadrangulum. 
Stems diffuse, not 6 inches long, and much branched. 
Flowers small, in leafy cymes 
Sepals fringed with black or red glandular teeth or dots. 
Whole plant perfectly glabrous. 
Stems diffuse, or, if erect, growing. in tufts, seldom 
above 6 inches high. 
Leaves oblong or ovate. Stems low and diffuse 6. H. humifusum. 
Leaves linear. 5 . 7. HH. linaritfolium. 
Stems erect and stiff, ‘usually a foot or more high. 
Stem-leaves broad- ‘cordate, rarely above 4 inch long. 
. A. humifusum. 
Panicle oblong, loose. : : : . 8& A. pulehrum. - 
Stem-leaves ovate or oblong, 1 to 2 inches long. 
Panicle compact ‘ ; ’ . ’ : . 10. H. montanum. 
tems or leaves hairy. 
Stem tall and ereet slightly hairy. Leaves elt or 
elliptical . . 9. H. hirsutum. 
Stems diffuse, very woolly. Leaves orbicular ; . ll. H, Elodes. 
