Hypericum perforatum. Common St. John’s Wort. 
HYPERICUM Limuei Gen . PI. Polyadelphia Polyandria. 
Rail Synopfs Gen. 24. Herb.® Pentapetala: Vasculiferje. 
HYPERICUM perforatum , floribus trigynis, caule ancipiti, foliis obtufis pellucido-pun&atis. Unmet Syfi, 
Vegetab. p. 58J. FI. Suecic. n. 680. 
PIYPERICUM caule terete, alato, ramofiffimo ; foliis ovatis, perforatis. Haller, kifi. vol. 2 . p. 4. 
HYPERICUM vulgare Bauhin. Pm. p. 279. Gerard, emac. 540. Parlinfon 572. Ran Syrnp. 342. Hudfon Ft. 
Angl. 290. Scopoli. FI. Carniol. n. 944, 
Tota planta glandulis nigris adfperfa. 
RADIX perennis, lignofa, fufca. 
CAULES plerumque pluresex eadem radice, bipedales, 
eredti, fublignofi, laves, teretes, alterne anci- 
pites fg. 1, ramofi. 
RAMI oppofiti, fuberedti, ancipites. 
FOLIA oppofita, feffilia, ovato-oblonga, obtufa, per- 
forata five pellucido-pundtata, heptanervia ex 
luteo-viridia. fg. 2. 
PEDUNCULI ancipites, multiflori. 
PANICULA denfa. 
CALYX : Perianthium quinquepartitum, ftriatum, 
laciniis lanceolatis, acuminatis, nudis, fg. 3. 
COROLLA : petala quinque, flava, ad unum latus cre- 
nulata, glandulis nigris adfperfa. fg. 4. 
STAMINA: Filamenta plurima, in tria corpora vix 
coalita, fg. 5. An thera: flavae, biloculares, 
loculis fubrotundis, inter quos, glandula nigra 
ponitur, fg. 6. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum. Styli tres diva- 
ricantes : Stigmata fimplicia. fg. 7. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula fubtrigona fg. 8. trilocu- 
laris fg. 9. pallide fufca. 
RECEPTACULUM feu Thalamus feminum foramine 
triquetro gaudet, quod in pericarpii immaturi 
Tectione tranfverfa clare diftingui poteft, ut 
obfervavit Cl. Scopoli. 
SEMINA plurima, oblonga, fufca. fg. 10. 11. 
The whole plantis fprinkled over with fmall black glands. 
ROOT perennial, woody, of a brown colour. 
STALKS feveral for the moft part, fpringing from the 
fame root, about two feet high, upright, woody, 
fmooth, round, alternately two edged, fg. 1, 
much branched. 
BRANCHES oppofite, nearly upright, two edged. 
LEAVES oppofite, feflile, of an oblong oval fhape, 
obtufe, having the appearance of being all over 
perforated, of a yellowifh green colour, with 
feven nerves or ribs, fg. 2 
PEDUNCLES two edged, fupporting many flowers. 
PANICLE bufhy, 
CALYX A Perianthium divided into five fegments, 
and flriated, the fegments narrow and pointed, 
without any glands on them. fg. 3. 
COROLLA : five Petals of a yellow colour, notched 
irregularly on one fide, and fprinkled over 
with little black glands, fig. 4. 
STAMINA : Filaments numerous, uniting at bottom 
in three fcarcely diftindt bodies or fafciculi/g-. 5. 
Anthera: yellow and bilocular, each of the 
Cavities of a roundifh figure, and between 
them is fituated a fmall black gland, fg. 6. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fomewhat oval, three Styles 
which divaricate; the Stigmata Ample, fg. 7. 
SEED-VESSEL: aC^psuiE fomewhat triangular, fg. 
8, of a pale brown colour, with three Cavities, 
fig- 9- 
RECEPTACLE: the Receptacle which is continued 
through the Cap'fule, and conne&s the Cavities 
together, has a triangular hole in it, which is 
very obvious in a tranfverfe fedtion of it before 
it is ripe, — as the celebrated Scopoli has juftly 
obferved. 
SEEDS numerous, oblong, and brown, fg. 10. 11. 
It very often happens, that fome of the minute parts of the Flower, and Seed, afford a more, obvious, certain, and 
conflant mark of fpecific difference, than any part of the plant belides, and we have a remarkable inflance of the truth 
of this obfervation in the plant before us. A little gland, of a black colour, placed on the fummit of the Anthera, 
at one view diflinguifhes this fpecies, without any farther invefligation : did luch obvious diftindtions prevail in all 
plants, a knowledge of them might with much eafe be acquired ; and fortunately we fhall find, on examination, fuch 
marks more frequently occur than is generally imagined ; whenever they do, we fhall not fail to remark them. 
The apparent perforation of the leaves, from whence this fpecies is named, is not peculiar to it alone. 
Although in the prefent pradtice this officinal plant does not feem to be much reg-arded, yet its fenfible qualities, 
and the repeated teflimonies of its virtues, entitle it as Dr. Cullen* obferves to farther trials. To the tafte it is 
aftringent and bitter, and its effedls feem to be chiefly diuretic. From poflelling properties which havegenerally been 
called balfamic, it has been ufed as a vulnerary in external wounds, and internal hemorrhages, for the former purpofe, the 
tops of the plant with the flowers are infufed in oil, and for the latter, an infufion of the plant is made in the man- 
ner of Tea. It has likewife been given in ulcerations of the kidnies, and has even been fuppofed to poflefs virtues 
as a febrifuge. 
It has had the ill fate to beabufedby the fuperflition of the common people in France and Germany, who gather it 
with great ceremony on St. John’s Day, and hang it in their Windows, as a certain charm and defence againfl Storms, 
Thunder, and evil Spirits ; miflaking the meaning of fome medical writers, who have fancifully given this plant 
the name of Fuga Damonum becaufe they fuppofed, if given internally, it was a good medicine for maniacal and hypo- 
chondriacal Dilorders. 
The dried plant boiled with Allum dyes Wool of a yellow colour. It grows very common in hedges and fields that 
are but feldom tilled, and flowers in Auguft and September. 
*Vid. Dr. Cullen’s Materia Medica p. 206. 
