[182] Hypericum perforatum, St John’s Wort

[182] Hypericum perforatum, St John’s Wort

Introduction

Hypericum perforatum, St John’s Wort, is a creeping, low-growing wildflower with bright yellow flowers, common and widespread across Europe.

All five hundred species of Hypericum may be called St John’s Wort, so Hypericum perforatum is Common St John’s Wort or Perforate St John’s Wort.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Malphigiales

Family – Hypericaceae

Genus – Hypericum

Section – Hypericum

Subsection – Hypericum

Scientific Name – Hypericum perforatum

There are many hybrids and cultivars.

Name

This plant commonly flowers around Late June and is associated with St John’s Day on 24 June. It used to be hung on house doors on that day to ward off evil spirits. As for many plants the name St John’s Wort has spread to all species of Hypericum.

Description

In planning this blog, I have had to consider several times how to deal with species in the same genus. In most instances I keep them together in one post. But I wanted to separate Rose of Sharon, Hypericum calycinum, the large bushy garden plant, from St John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, the low-growing wildflower.

The two species are obviously different in real life but the differences are not so obvious in close-up pictures.

If you examine them closely, the leaves of Hypericum perforatum have a number of tiny dots that can give it a ‘perforated’ appearance.

Apart from that we can say that Common St John’s Wort is a smaller, lower, less significant version of Hypericum, with less flowers of a slightly less ornate form – but the same five-petalled yellow shape.

Flower buds and fruit capsules are both a purplish red colour.

Hypericum perforatum is believed to be hybrid species that arose naturally between Hypericum maculatum and Hypericum attenuatum, perhaps in Siberia where the two original species were native.

Habitat and use

Hypericum perforatum is native to temperate Eurasia but has spread and is considered invasive in North America and many other countries.

In large doses it can be poisonous to livestock such as [130] Horses;[245] Sheep; and [054] Cattle.

It has been used in traditional medicine as noted yesterday for [181] Rose of Sharon.

Other Notes

I suppose another difference is that this plant appears in open spaces with other wildflowers unlike Rose of Sharon, which is found in gardens. There are cultivated varieties of Hypericum perforatum.

See also

I suppose [114] Shrubby Cinquefoil is superficially similar, but not a close relative.

[181] Hypericum calycinum, Rose of Sharon

[181] Hypericum calycinum, Rose of Sharon

Introduction

Hypericum calycinum is a very common garden plant often used in hedges and sometimes called Rose of Sharon. It is also known as Aaron’s Beard, Great St-John’s Wort, Creeping St-John’s Wort and Jerusalem Star. To be honest, as a garden plant it is generally called Hypericum.

Rose of Sharon is commonly quoted as an example of the ambiguity of common names as it is also used for Hibiscus syriacus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and varieties of Malus domestica and Paeonia lactiflora. In some English versions of the Bible the expression Rose of Sharon is used for what may be a Crocus, Tulip, Narcissus (Daffodil) or Lilium candidum.

Taxonomy

Kingdom – Plants

Division – Vascular Plants

Class – Angiosperms (Flowering Plants)

Order – Malphigiales

Family – Hypericaceae

Genus – Hypericum

Section – Ascyreia

Scientific Name – Hypericum calycinum

Name

The name ‘Rose of Sharon’ appears in the Bible and seems to have been adopted by several plants with no justification. From another Biblical quotation, Aaron’s beard comes from the many stamens in the open flowers.

See tomorrow for St John’s Wort.

Hypericum is probably Latinized from the Greek hyper-eikon meaning above-picture, from the tradition of hanging plants over religious icons on that day. Calycinum comes from calyx, the botanical term for the sepals of the flower.

Description

Hypericum calycinum is described as a low growing, creeping bushy plant but cultivated varieties grow to the stature of a shrub and can be used as hedges. The stems are reddish. Leaves are dark green in what we think of as a typical leaf shape.

The undersides of the leaves ate net-veined.

Its distinctive flowers, which can be profuse and long-lasting, are fairly large, bright yellow and in the form of an open five-petalled star. There are many obvious long stamens.

Fruits are in the form of a capsule which splits to release the seeds.

Habitat and use

Hypericum calycinum is native to Bulgaria and Turkey and adjacent areas.

It has been traditionally used as a herbal remedy to reduce muscle spasms and for asthma.

It is widely cultivated as a garden plant. Some of the five hundred species of Hypericum are also cultivated and there are many hybrids and cultivars. Almost all varieties have yellow flowers.

See also

We will see a wild relative, St John’s Wort, tomorrow.