128 
POPULAR FLORA. 
14. ST. JOHN’S- WORT FAMILY. Order HYPERICACEJE. 
Heibs 01 low shrubs, with the leaves all opposite and dotted, as if punctured, with trails' 
paient oi daik-coloied dots, one or both} the juice generally acrid. Flowers with 4 or 5 
persistent sepals, as many petals, and more numerous, commonly a great number of sta- 
mens, and in 3 or 5 clusters, borne on the receptacle. Styles 2 to 5, commonly separate, or 
sometimes all united into one. Ovary only one, in fruit a pod, either one-oelled with 2 to 
5 (commonly 3) parietal pla- 
centas, or with as many cells 
and the placentas in the inner 
angle of each cell (Fig. 189, 
190), when ripe splitting through 
the partitions (Fig. 212). 
298 297 299 
297. Flowers. &c. of St John’s-wort No. 4. 298. Pistil of 3 united. 299. Pod cut across. 300. Plan of the flower of Marsh St. 
Johu’s-wort, in a cross-section of the bud. 301. One of the clusters of three stamens. 
Sepals 5, all nearly alike in size and shape. 
Petals 5, flesh-colored, oblong, equal-sided, stamens about 9, in three sets, and a thick 
gland between each set, ( Elod'ea ) Maksh St. John’s-wort. 
Petals 5, yellow, unequal-sided. Stamens generally many, ( Hypericum ) St. John’s-wort. 
Sepals 4, in two pairs, one pair large, the other small; petals 4, ( A’scyrum ) St. Peter’s-wort. 
St. John’s-wort. Hypericum. 
* Stamens very many, in 5 sets. Styles 5, rarely 6 or 7. 
1. Great St. John’s-wort. Perennial herb, with stems branched, 3° to 5° high; leaves closely 
sessile, oblong; petals 1' long, narrow. N. & W. //. pyramidatwti. 
* * Stamens very many. Styles 3 or splitting into 3. Perennials or shrubs. 
2. Shrubby S. Shrub 1° to 4° high, very bushy; branchlets 2-edged; leaves lance-oblong; styles 
at first all united into one (Fig. 190), when old splitting into three. W. & S. H. prolificum, 
S Naked-flowered S. Shrubby at the base, 1° to 4° high; branches sharply 4-angled; leaves. 
oblong; cyme stalked and naked. S. & W. H. nudijlbrum. 
4. Common S. Herb 1° or 2° high, bushy -branched ; stem somewhat 2-edged; leaves narrow-oblong, 
with transparent dots; sepals lance-shaped; petals bright yellow. A weed in pastures, &c. 
H. perforatum. 
