128 
POPULAR FLORA. 
14. ST. JOHN’S-WORT FAMILY. Order HYPERICACEAC. 
Herbs or low shrubs, with the leaves all opposite and dotted, as if punctured, with trans¬ 
parent or dark-colored 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-celled 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). 
297 299 300 301 
297. Flowers, &c. of St. JohnVwort 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) Marsh 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. H.pyramidatum. 
* * 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.prolifcum. 
3. Naked-flowered S. Shrubby at the base, 1° to 4° high; branches sharply 4-angled; leaves 
oblong; cyme stalked and naked. S. & W. H. nudifloi'um. 
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. 
