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mountain St. John's wort

shrubby St. John's-wort

Habit Shrubs, decumbent, spreading and rooting, wiry, branches ascending to erect, forming compact mats, 0.5–4.5 dm. Shrubs, erect or ± diffuse, forming rounded or irregular bush, (2–)7.5–15(–20) dm.
Stems

internodes 4-lined.

internodes 4-lined at first, then 2-lined to terete.

Leaf

blades oblong or elliptic to obovate, 4–25 × 2–12 mm, base not articulated, cuneate, margins plane, apex rounded, midrib with 2–4 pairs of branches.

blades narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, 30–70 × 6–15 mm, base articulated, attenuate to narrowly cuneate, margins plane to recurved, apex rounded-apiculate to acute, midrib with 10–16 pairs of branches.

Inflorescences

1(–5)-flowered.

cylindric, (1–)3–7(–9)-flowered from apical node, with paired single flowers or triads or 1–3(–7)-flowered branches from 2+ proximal nodes.

Flowers

20–25 mm diam.;

sepals persistent, not enclosing capsule, 5, broadly elliptic to elliptic-spatulate or obovate, subequal, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm;

petals 5, golden yellow, oblanceolate, 6–10.5 mm;

stamens persistent, 100;

ovary 3-merous.

15–30 mm diam.;

sepals deciduous, not enclosing capsule, 5, elliptic to obovate or oblanceolate-spatulate, unequal or subequal, 4–8 × 1.5–4 mm;

petals 5, golden yellow, obovate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 7–15 mm;

stamens deciduous, 150–500;

ovary 3(–5)-merous, placentation incompletely axile.

Capsules

ovoid to ovoid-cylindric, 8–12 × 5 mm.

usually narrowly ovoid-conic to ovoid, rarely ellipsoid, 7–13 × 4–7 mm.

Seeds

narrowly to broadly carinate, 1.5–2 mm;

testa finely foveolate-reticulate.

carinate, 1.5–2 mm;

testa linear-reticulate.

2n

= 18.

Hypericum buckleyi

Hypericum prolificum

Phenology Flowering early–mid summer (Jun–Jul). Flowering summer (Jun–Sep).
Habitat Seepage areas, moist rock crevices, ditches, road embankments Rocky slopes, embankments, dry stream bottoms, woodland (in north), on limestone or granite
Elevation 900–1600 m (3000–5200 ft) 50–600+ m (200–2000+ ft)
Distribution
from FNA
GA; NC; SC
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hypericum buckleyi is found throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains.

The decumbent habit and persistent sepals and stamens distinguish Hypericum buckleyi from its nearest relative, H. prolificum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Hypericum prolificum is variable, the most luxuriant form being found in the southwestern part of its range. Natural hybrids have not been recorded; it hybridizes in gardens with H. densiflorum (H. x\arnoldianum Rehder), H. frondosum, H. kalmianum, and H. lobocarpum (H. x\dawsonianum Rehder).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 81. FNA vol. 6, p. 76.
Parent taxa Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Myriandra Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Myriandra
Sibling taxa
H. adpressum, H. anagalloides, H. apocynifolium, H. ascyron, H. boreale, H. brachyphyllum, H. canadense, H. canariense, H. chapmanii, H. cistifolium, H. concinnum, H. crux-andreae, H. cumulicola, H. densiflorum, H. denticulatum, H. dolabriforme, H. drummondii, H. edisonianum, H. ellipticum, H. erythreae, H. fasciculatum, H. frondosum, H. galioides, H. gentianoides, H. graveolens, H. gymnanthum, H. harperi, H. hypericoides, H. kalmianum, H. lissophloeus, H. lloydii, H. lobocarpum, H. maculatum, H. majus, H. microsepalum, H. mutilum, H. myrtifolium, H. nitidum, H. nudiflorum, H. paucifolium, H. perforatum, H. prolificum, H. pseudomaculatum, H. punctatum, H. radfordiorum, H. scouleri, H. setosum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. tetrapetalum, H. virgatum, H. ×mitchellianum
H. adpressum, H. anagalloides, H. apocynifolium, H. ascyron, H. boreale, H. brachyphyllum, H. buckleyi, H. canadense, H. canariense, H. chapmanii, H. cistifolium, H. concinnum, H. crux-andreae, H. cumulicola, H. densiflorum, H. denticulatum, H. dolabriforme, H. drummondii, H. edisonianum, H. ellipticum, H. erythreae, H. fasciculatum, H. frondosum, H. galioides, H. gentianoides, H. graveolens, H. gymnanthum, H. harperi, H. hypericoides, H. kalmianum, H. lissophloeus, H. lloydii, H. lobocarpum, H. maculatum, H. majus, H. microsepalum, H. mutilum, H. myrtifolium, H. nitidum, H. nudiflorum, H. paucifolium, H. perforatum, H. pseudomaculatum, H. punctatum, H. radfordiorum, H. scouleri, H. setosum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. tetrapetalum, H. virgatum, H. ×mitchellianum
Synonyms Brathys prolifica, H. spathulatum, Myriandra ledifolia, M. prolifica, M. prolifica var. spathulata, M. spathulata
Name authority M. A. Curtis: Amer. J. Sci. Arts 44: 80. (1843) Linnaeus: Mant. Pl. 1: 106. (1767)
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