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HYPERICUM dubium.
Imperforate St. John s Wort.
P O L Y A D E L P H I A Polyandria.
G en. C har. Cal. 5-cleft. Petals 5. Filaments numerous,
united at the bafe into 3 or 5 fets. Capfule
roundith.
S p e c . C har. Styles three. Stem obfoletely four-
edged. Leaves obtufe, deftitute o f pellucid dots,
Calyx-leaves elliptical.
S y n . Hypericum dubium. Leers FI. Herbom. 165.
T h AT this is a moft diftinct fpecies of Hypericum from the
perforatum and all others there can be no doubt, though it feems
to have efcaped the notice of every author except the accurate
Leers, not being mentioned even as a variety by any other that
we can find. Neither is it, as Leers was induced to fufpeft, the
H. perfoliaturri of Linnaeus. This addition to our catalogue of
Britifh natives was difcovered in July 1794 by Dr. John Seward
of Worcefter, growing plentifully about Sapey in that county,
and was afcertained by the Rev. Mr. Douglas to be the H. dubium
of Leers. Dr. Smith has received it from Switzerland,
by favour of Mr. Davall, under the fame denomination, and
found it himfelf very abundantly laft Auguft about Colonel
Johnes’s delightful and romantic place at Hafod, Cardiganfhire,
ns well as in Mr. Knight’s fine woods at Downton Caftle near
Ludlow, where it is much more common than thz perforatum.
It may perhaps be found in other parts of our ifland when accurately
fought for.
In habit, fize, and colour, this plant very nearly agrees with
thz perforatum, but differs elfentially from that fpecies in having
no pellucid dots apparent on the leaves, and in the calyx-leaves
being elliptical and obtufe. The latter indeed, and even the
brafteae, are fprinkled with pellucid dots and lines, and the
petals, as well as the edges of the leaves, marked with opaque
purple, as in th a t; but in addition to the above differences, the
ftem of H. dubium is in the upper part almoft quadrangular;
and it may even be known before it comes out of the ground,
by the much more vivid red of the young fhoots.