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claspingleaf St. Johnswort, small-flower St. John's wort

orange-grass, orange-grass St. John's-wort, pineweed, pinweed St. Johnswort

Habit Herbs annual, usually erect, sometimes shortly decumbent and rooting, basal branches none, rarely with 1–3(–6) pairs of narrowly ascending branches distally, 0.6–7 dm. Herbs annual, erect, branches strict, in distal 2/3 or from most nodes, 0.7–6 dm, wiry.
Stems

internodes 4-angled.

internodes 4-lined.

Leaves

spreading, sessile or amplexicaul;

blade usually ovate-triangular to broadly ovate, rarely oblong (mid and distal blades lanceolate-deltate), 5–25 × 3–12 mm, papery to membranous, margins plane, apex usually subacute, basal veins (3–)5, midrib usually with 1–2 pairs of branches.

appressed, sessile;

blade narrowly triangular-subulate to linear-subulate, scalelike, 1–4 × 0.4–0.6 mm, subcoriaceous to chartaceous, margins incurved, apex obtuse to rounded, basal vein 1, midrib unbranched.

Inflorescences

laxly corymbiform to cylindric, (1–)5–65-flowered, branching mostly dichasial.

usually pyramidal, 1–24-flowered, branching mostly monochasial.

Flowers

4.5–7 mm diam.;

sepals lanceolate to narrowly ovate, equal, 3–5 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins sometimes ciliate, not setulose-ciliate, apex acute to acuminate;

petals bright yellow, oblanceolate, 2–4 mm;

stamens 10–14, scarcely grouped;

styles 0.5–0.7 mm;

stigmas broadly capitate.

3–5 mm diam.;

sepals lanceolate to narrowly oblong or linear-lanceolate, unequal, 1.5–2.5 × 0.4–0.8 mm, apex acute;

petals orange-yellow to golden yellow, oblong, 2–4 mm;

stamens 5–11, 5 separate or obscurely 5-grouped;

styles 0.8–1.2 mm;

stigmas broadly capitate.

Capsules

narrowly conic-ellipsoid, 3–5 × 1.5–2 mm, usually broadest at or near middle.

narrowly cylindric-conic, 4–5 × 1–1.2 mm, length 2–2.7 times sepals.

Seeds

0.5–0.6 mm;

testa finely linear-scalariform.

0.4–0.8 mm;

testa markedly ribbed-scalariform.

2n

= 16.

= 24.

Hypericum gymnanthum

Hypericum gentianoides

Phenology Flowering summer (Jun–Sep). Flowering late spring–fall (May–Oct).
Habitat Bogs, ditches, open and cleared woods, damp habitats Dry, sandy soil in open woods, fields, roadsides, waste or rocky places, tall-grass prairie
Elevation 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; OH; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; Central America (Guatemala) [Introduced Atlantic Islands (Azores)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NS; ON; PE [Introduced in West Indies (Dominican Republic), South America (Brazil, Paraguay), Europe (France)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hypericum gymnanthum was introduced into Poland; it is now extinct there. It is closely related to H. mutilum; it differs from that species in the broader, usually deltate leaves; fewer, stricter branches; no condensed apical stem internode; and larger flowers with lanceolate to ovate sepals.

Hybrids of Hypericum gymnanthum with H. mutilum have been reported from Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, and, perhaps erroneously, with H. canadense from Virginia.

Hypericum gymnanthum has clearly been introduced (recently?) into the Azores, not necessarily by man. Seeds may well have been carried there by birds.

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

Hypericum gentianoides is smaller in all parts than H. drummondii and more branched. The relatively long, narrow capsule is diagnostic, as are the relatively small, often scalelike leaves.

Hypericum sarothra Michaux and Sarothra hypericoides Nuttall are illegitimate names that pertain here.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 93. FNA vol. 6, p. 95.
Parent taxa Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Brathys Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Brathys
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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
Synonyms H. canadense var. cardiophyllum, H. mutilum var. gymnanthum, Sarothra gymnantha Sarothra gentianoides, Brathys gentianoides, H. nudicaule
Name authority Engelmann & A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 5: 212. (1845) (Linnaeus) Britton: Prelim. Cat., 9. (1888)
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