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sandhill St. Johnswort

fourpetal St. Johnswort

Habit Shrubs, decumbent, straggling and rooting, forming low, rounded clumps or mats, 1–5 dm. Herbs (perennial) or shrubs, erect, with woody base, usually unbranched, sometimes with divaricate or ascending branches, 2–10 dm.
Stems

internodes (4-) or 6-lined at first, then terete.

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

Leaf

blades linear-subulate, 13–25 × 0.5–0.8 mm, base articulated, parallel, margins revolute, apex rounded to retuse, midrib unbranched.

blades oblong-ovate to ovate or triangular-ovate, 5–35 × 4–15 mm, base articulated, cordate-amplexicaul, margins subrecurved, apex apiculate or obtuse to rounded, midrib with 1 pair of branches.

Inflorescences

narrowly pyramidal, 1–3-flowered, with 1–3(–5)-flowered dichasia from to 5 proximal nodes, without additional flowering branches;

pedicels 0.5 mm.

terminal, 1(–3)-flowered, branching from apical node pseudodichotomous, sometimes with relatively short branches from to 3 proximal nodes.

Flowers

12–14 mm diam.;

sepals deciduous, not enclosing capsule, 5, linear-subulate, unequal, (3–)4.5–7 × 0.5–0.8 mm;

petals 5, golden yellow, oblanceolate-oblong, 5–7.5 mm;

stamens deciduous, 100;

ovary 3-merous.

20–30 mm diam.;

sepals persistent, enclosing capsule, 4, unequal, outer broadly ovate, 7–15 × 5.5–10 mm, apex subapiculate to obtuse, inner narrowly lanceolate, 7–15 × 2–3 mm, apex acute;

petals 4, bright yellow, obovate-oblong, 10–15 mm;

stamens persistent, 100;

ovary 3-merous.

Capsules

ovoid, 3–4 × 2–2.5 mm.

broadly ellipsoid-ovoid to subglobose, 5–6 × 3.5–4 mm.

Seeds

carinate, 0.7 mm;

testa not seen.

not carinate, 0.7 mm;

testa shallowly scalariform.

2n

= 18.

Hypericum lloydii

Hypericum tetrapetalum

Phenology Flowering summer (Aug). Flowering winter–spring (Jan–Apr), late summer (Jul–Sep).
Habitat Dry habitats (pine woods, granite outcrops, roadside embankments), inner coastal plain and foothills Moist, low pinelands, ditches
Elevation 100–300 m (300–1000 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; West Indies (w Cuba)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The habit, leaf shape, and drier habitats distinguish Hypericum lloydii from H. galioides.

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

Hypericum tetrapetalum differs from H. crux-andreae in having broader leaves with strongly cordate-amplexicaul bases and, nearly always, by terminal pseudodichotomous inflorescences.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 79. FNA vol. 6, p. 86.
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. 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. 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. prolificum, H. pseudomaculatum, H. punctatum, H. radfordiorum, H. scouleri, H. setosum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. virgatum, H. ×mitchellianum
Synonyms H. galioides var. lloydii Ascyrum amplexicaule, A. cubense, A. tetrapetalum
Name authority (Svenson) W. P. Adams: Contr. Gray Herb. 189: 32. (1962) Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 4: 153. (1797)
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