Spec. Char., cj-c. Flowers almost sessile. Leaves obovate-
lanceolate, pubescent beneath, somewhat serrated,
meiiibranaceoiis. Petals and sepals rather silky on the
outside. {Don’s Mill.) A deciduous tree in America,
in Britain a shrub. Georgia and Florida. Height in
America 30 ft. to 50 f t.; in England 4 ft. to 0 ft. Introduced
in 1774. Flowers large, v\ hite, fragrant, 3 in.
across, with yellow filaments; May to August. Capsule
globose, brownish ; ripe in October.
Somewhat hardier than the preceding species, but
requiring the same general treatment.
111. Gordònia pubéscen».
O r d e r X I I . L T Y P E R IC A 'C E A i.
0/( D. C h a u . Sepals 4 or 5, imequal, with an imbricate aestivation. Stamens, in
nearly all, numerous, and in 3 or more parcels. Fruit, a capsule or berry o f
many va ves and many cells ; the edges of the valves curved inwards. Seeds
attached to a placenta m the axis, or on the inner edge o f the dissepiments.
_ Demes simple, opposite, exstipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; entire copiously
dotted with immersed, pellucid, resinous glands. Flowers terminal
or axillaiy, generally yeliow. Sap yellow, resinous.— Shrubs, natives o f
Europe, North America, and Asia. The genera iu British gardens are two.
which are thus contradistinguished : —
H y p e b i c u m L . Capsule membranous. Stamens polyadelphous.
r iN U R 0S iE \v iuM C h o is . Capsule baccate. Stamens monadelphous.
G e n u s I.
TTYPE'RICUM L . T h e S t . J o h n ’s W o r t . Lin. Syst. Polyadelph. Polyánd.
Identification. Lin Gen., 392. ; lu ss., 25.5. ; Dec. Prod., 1. p. 543. ; Don’s Mill 1 n COI
Synonymes. FugaDa-monum ; Mille P e rtu is, Fr. ; J o h a n n ik ra u t, G«-, ; Iperteo
Derivations. T h e name o f Hypericum is as old as the time of Dioscorides ■ but its origin and mean
mg are uncertain. Some derive it from the Greek words huper, under ánd « S p a n t a ? . !™ ànd
suppose It to signify th a t the upper part of the flower represents a figure Others state th a t AMori*
signifaes through, and th a t th e name alludes to th e pellucid dots in tiie leavus, which form small
n S r h o tílí T h e French name of th e
Same S t J o h S ? Wo?t r ’ evidently derived from the same source. Tlie English
name, * t. Jonn s Woit, and the German one, Johanmskraut, are taken from th e m n n tru
formerly, both m England and Germany, being in the habit of gathering this plan t on S t Jo h n ’s
day, to use it to protec t themselves from evil spirits. T h is plant, with sSme o t C wSs emnloved
to tnake %yhat was called Jo h n s fire, which was supposed to be a securitv for those who kimllpd ir
Gen. Char. , Ca/iíjíAí membranous. Stamens mimerons, free or joined at
the bases into 3 or 5 bundles. Petals 5. Sepals 5, more or less connected
at the base, unequal, rarely equal. Slyles 3 to 5, rarely connate in one,
permanent. Capsule 1- or many-celled, many-seeded, .3—5-valved. Inte«u-
ment of seed, double _ Embryo with the radicle situated a t the umbilictis,
and with semicylmdrical cotyledons. (Don’s MiU.)
Leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, sub-evergreen or deciduous; ovate-
oblong or lanceolate, sessile or subsessile, usually full o f pellucid dots on
their disks, and some dark ones on their edges, lodging an essential oil.
L lowers terminal, racemose, yellow. — Low sub-evergreen shrubs; natives
ot Europe, North Aiiierica, and Asia; o f easy culture in common soil;
and propagated by division, suckers, cuttings, or seeds.
X I I . f f y P E R IC A ' c EÆ : H Y P E ' r ICUM.
ÿ i. Kscyreiu Chois. Pro d . Hyp.
Derivation, From a, not, and skiiros, h a rd ; th a t is to say, plants soft to the touch.
Sect. Char. Sepals connected at the base, and unequal. Stamens numerous.
Styles 3 to 5. Flowers terminal, large, few, sub-corymbose. {Dons MiU.,
i. p. 601.)
112. H y p éricum e là tum .
A. Styles commonly 3.
æ as 1. H. e l a 'tu m Ait. The tali St. John’s Wort.
Identification. Alt. Hort. Kew., ed. 2. vol. 3. p. 104. ; Don's Mill., 1.
p. 601. ; T o r. and Gray, 1. p. 166.
Engravings. Wats. Dend. Brit., t. 86. ; and o ur fig. 112.
Spec. Char., Sje. Younger stems reddish. Leaves ovate-
oblong, acute, dilated a t the base, somewhat emarginate,
with the margins somewhat revolute. Flowers
corymbose. Peduncles bibracteate. Sepals ovate-
oblong. {Doris Mill.) A sub-evergreen shrub. North
America. Height 3 ft. to 5 ft. Introduced in 1762.
Flowers yellow ; July and August. Capsule reddish
brown; ripe in October. Decaying leaves yellowish.
M V- 2. H. h ir c i'n um L . The Goat-scented St. John’s M'ort.
Identification. L in . Sp., 1103. ; Do n ’s Mill., i. p. 602.
Synonymes. Tiiigium Ctiis.; jindrosæ'mum foe'tidum B a uh., P a rk ., and
B a y ; Mille P e rtu is à Odeur de Bouc, Fr.
Engravings. Schkuhr Handb. 3. t. 213. f. 3. ; Wa ts. Dend. Brit., t. G. ;
and our.jîg. 113.
Spec. Char., Sjc. Branches winged. Leaves somewhat
emarginate a t the base, dilated, sessile, acute a t the
apex, ovate-lanceolate, with glandular margins. P e duncles
bibracteate. Stamens exceeding the corolla in
length. Seeds 2, appendiculated. (Doris Mill.) A deciduous
or sub-evergreen undershrub. Sea coast of Spain.
H e ig h ts ft. to 4 ft. Introduced in 1640. Flowers yellow ;
July to September. Capsule reddish brown; ripe in October.
The leaves of this species, when bruised, have a very disagreeable
smell, resembling that o f a goat, whence its name.
Varieties.
ju tL H. h. 2 obtusifôlium Dec. — Leaves blunter
than the species. Found on the mountains of
Corsica, on humid rocks.
ji «. H. A. 3 minus Dec. is a smaller plant than the
others, figured in Dend. Brit. t. 87.
B. Styles commonly 5.
113. H . h irc ln um .
j>k n- H . 'S .A .U U r iN U M L. Kalm’s St. John’s Wort.
Identification. Willd. Sp., 3. p. 438.; D o n ’s Mill. 1. p . 603. ; T o r. aod
Gray, l . p . 158.
Synonymes. H . B artràm m» / Mill. ; Virginia St. Jo h n ’s Wo rt.
Engraving. Oar Jig. 114.
spec. Char., 4e. Branches tetragonal. Leaves linear-
lanceolate. Flowers 3 to 7, in a terminal corymb. Sepals
lanceolate, bluntish. (Don’s Mill.) A sub-evergreen
nndershrub. Canada to Virginia. Height 1^ ft.
in America ; 2 ft. to 3 ft. in England. Introduced in
1759. Flowers yellow ; Ju n e and July. Capsule reddish
brown ; ripe in October.
n ’t , ; / . Kalmiritii