Flora of North America species comparison

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Hypericum sect. Myriandra

Hypericum ellipticum

millepertuis elliptique, pale Saint John's wort, pale St. John's-wort
Habit Herbs (perennial), subshrubs, or shrubs; black glands absent. Herbs, perennial, erect, with creeping, rhizomatous, ± woody base, usually unbranched, sometimes branched proximally, relatively slender, 1.1–3(–5) dm.
Stems

internodes 4-lined.
Leaves

deciduous (base articulated) or persistent (base not articulated).

blades broadly to narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 11–35 × 3–13 mm, base not articulated, cuneate to shallowly cordate-amplexicaul, margins plane to subrevolute, apex rounded, midrib with 5–7 pairs of branches.
Inflorescences

corymbiform, (1–)3–15-flowered, narrowly branched, sometimes with branches from 1–2 proximal nodes.
Flowers

7–45 mm diam.;

sepals deciduous or persistent, (2–)4–5;

petals deciduous, (3–)4–5;

stamens usually persistent, sometimes deciduous, 30–650, in continuous ring or in 4–5 barely discernable fascicles, each of 1–2 stamens;

ovary 2–5-merous;

placentation incompletely axile to parietal;

styles ± appressed, bases distinct;

stigmas minute.

12–15 mm diam.;

sepals persistent, not enclosing capsule, (4–)5, ± lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic, ± unequal, 6–7 × 2–3 mm;

petals (4–)5, pale yellow, sometimes tinged red, obovate to oblanceolate, 6–8 mm;

stamens persistent, 70–95;

ovary 3-merous, placentation parietal.
Capsules

ellipsoid to globose, 4–7 × 3.5–5 mm.
Seeds

± carinate or not.

carinate, 0.6–0.7 mm;

testa scalariform-reticulate.
2n

= 16, 18.

Hypericum sect. Myriandra

Hypericum ellipticum
Phenology Flowering summer (Jun–Sep).
Habitat Stream, lake, and pond margins, wet meadows, swamps
Elevation 0–600 m (0–2000 ft)
Distribution
e North America; e Mexico; West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles); Bermuda; Central America (Belize)
from FNA
CT; IL; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VT; WA; WI; WV; NB; NF; NS; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 29 (28 in the flora).

Hypericum limosum Grisebach is endemic to western Cuba.

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

Hypericum ellipticum is related to H. sphaerocarpum, differing by the shorter, herbaceous, rhizomatous habit, shorter leaves, and smaller seeds. A submerged aquatic form (forma submersum Fassett) and one with axillary branches developing after fertilization (forma foliosum Marie-Victorin) seem scarcely worth formal recognition. Hypericum ellipticum is introduced in Washington.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Sepals enclosing capsule, (2–)4, unequal (outer pair larger) [subsect. Ascyrum]
→ 2
1. Sepals not enclosing capsule, usually 5, if 3 or 4, usually subequal
→ 6
2. Stamens 30–50; ovaries 2-merous
→ 3
2. Stamens 70–100; ovaries 3(4)-merous
→ 4
3. Leaf bases without glandlike auricles; inflorescences 1-flowered, pedicels mostly recurved to reflexed in fruit, bracteoles proximal.
H. suffruticosum
3. Leaf bases with glandlike auricles; inflorescences 1–12-flowered, pedicels erect in fruit, bracteoles distal.
H. hypericoides
4. Leaf bases cordate-amplexicaul; inflorescences terminal, branching (at apical node) pseudodichotomous
H. tetrapetalum
4. Leaf bases usually cuneate to subrounded, rarely rounded to slightly subcordate-amplexicaul; inflorescences from 1–4 nodes, branching dichasial or pseudodichotomous
→ 5
5. Leaves: bases without glandlike auricles, margins plane to subrecurved; inflorescences 1–3(–7)-flowered, branching dichasial; outer sepals: apices apiculate or obtuse to rounded
H. crux-andreae
5. Leaves: bases with glandlike auricles, margins subrecurved to subincrassate; inflorescences 1-flowered, branching pseudodichotomous; outer sepals: apices acute to subacuminate
H. edisonianum
6. Leaves: bases usually not articulated, if articulated (22. H. myrtifolium), subcordate-amplexicaul; stamens (all or some) usually persistent (deciduous in H. apocynifolium, H. myrtifolium, and H. dolabriforme)
→ 7
6. Leaves: base articulated, not amplexicaul; stamens deciduous [subsect. Centrosperma]
→ 16
7. Shrubs, decumbent, mat-forming, wiry; inflorescences 1(–5)-flowered [subsect. Pseudobrathydium].
H. buckleyi
7. Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs, erect to ascending or decumbent, not mat-forming, not wiry; inflorescences (1–)3–70-flowered
→ 8
8. Inflorescences widely branched; stamens 120–200 [subsect. Brathydium]
→ 9
8. Inflorescences narrowly branched; stamens 30–95 [subsect. Suturosperma]
→ 10
9. Shrubs, erect, unbranched or branched distally, bark corky; leaf blades oblong-ovate to triangular-lanceolate, (5–)7–20 mm wide, bases articulated, subcordate-amplexicaul.
H. myrtifolium
9. Subshrubs, decumbent, ± branching, bark not corky (thin); leaf blades linear-elliptic or linear-oblong to linear, 3–5 mm wide, bases not articulated, narrowly cuneate to rounded.
H. dolabriforme
10. Leaf blades (7–)10–25 mm wide; sepals deciduous or tardily deciduous; placentation incompletely axile
→ 11
10. Leaf blades 1–10(–15) mm wide; sepals persistent; placentation parietal
→ 12
11. Inflorescences terminal, (1–)3–5(–8)-flowered; sepals tardily deciduous, 1.5–2.3 mm wide; capsules 6–15 × 4.5–8 mm.
H. apocynifolium
11. Inflorescences from 1–3 nodes, the terminal 7–45-flowered; sepals deciduous, 1–1.5 mm wide; capsules 3.5–7 × 3–5 mm.
H. nudiflorum
12. Shrubs; leaf blades 1–3 mm wide; inflorescences 1–3-flowered; sepals (3–)4(–5).
H. microsepalum
12. Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs; leaf blades (1–)3–15 mm wide; inflorescences usually 7–70-flowered, if flowers 1–6, herbs; sepals usually 5
→ 13
13. Shrubs; capsules ovoid-cylindric to broadly ovoid.
H. cistifolium
13. Herbs or subshrubs; capsules usually broadly ovoid to depressed-globose, if ovoid-ellipsoid to ellipsoid or globose, rhizomatous herbs
→ 14
14. Herbs or subshrubs, not or rarely rhizomatous; capsules broadly ovoid to depressed-globose; seeds 2–2.7 mm.
H. sphaerocarpum
14. Herbs, rhizomatous; capsules ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid or globose; seeds 0.6–0.7 mm
→ 15
15. Herbs, 2–8 dm, relatively stout; leaf blades narrowly oblong or linear to lanceolate or narrowly elliptic.
H. adpressum
15. Herbs, 1–3(–5) dm, relatively slender; leaf blades elliptic or oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic.
H. ellipticum
16. Leaf blades usually elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, or oblong, (1–)3–22 mm wide; sepals usually elliptic, linear, oblanceolate, oblong, obovate, ovate, or spatulate
→ 17
17. Inflorescences usually 1–3(–7+)-flowered from apical node, sometimes with single flowers at 1(–2) proximal nodes
→ 18
17. Inflorescences usually (1–)3–25-flowered from apical node, sometimes with triads, dichasia, or flowering branches from 1–4 proximal nodes
→ 19
18. Shrubs (6–)10–30 dm; leaf blades 8–22 mm wide, margins plane or subrecurved; sepals 4–10 mm wide; ovaries 3-merous.
H. frondosum
18. Shrubs (1.4–)2–6(–10) dm; leaf blades 3–7(–10) mm wide, margins subrecurved to revolute; sepals 1.5–5 mm wide; ovaries (3–)5(–6)-merous.
H. kalmianum
19. Stem internodes 4- or 6-lined at first; inflorescences cylindric or broadly to narrowly elongate-cylindric with 1–5(–7)-flowered lateral dichasia proximally; internodes 4-lined at first and capsules 7–13 mm or internodes 6-lined at first and capsules 4.5–6 mm
→ 20
19. Stem internodes 4-lined at first; inflorescences shortly and broadly pyramidal or broadly cylindric to globose-cylindric, or obpyramidal with (2–)5–15-flowered lateral dichasia proximally; capsules 5–7 mm
→ 21
20. Leaf blades 30–70 mm, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate; flowers 15–30 mm diam.; placentation incompletely axile; capsules 7–13 mm; seeds 1.5–2 mm.
H. prolificum
20. Leaf blades 15–32(–37) mm, narrowly oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate to linear; flowers 9–14 mm diam.; placentation parietal; capsules 4.5–6 mm; seeds 0.7–0.8 mm.
H. galioides
21. Sepals: basal veins 3–7; ovaries (3–)4–5-merous; capsules notably lobed.
H. lobocarpum
21. Sepals: basal veins 1–3; ovaries 3–4(–5)-merous; capsules not or scarcely lobed.
H. densiflorum
22. Shrubs, erect, 3–45 dm
→ 24
23. Leaf blades 13–25 mm; sepals (3–)4.5–7 mm.
H. lloydii
23. Leaf blades 4–11 mm; sepals 2–4 mm.
H. tenuifolium
24. Capsules usually cylindric, rarely narrowly conic or ovoid-conic; bark smooth, not metallic-silvery
→ 25
24. Capsules ± narrowly ovoid-conic or pyramidal-ovoid to ovoid or ellipsoid; bark smooth and metallic-silvery or corky to spongy
→ 26
25. Leaves 9–26 mm; styles shorter than ovaries; capsules (4.5–)5–7 mm.
H. nitidum
25. Leaves 6–12 mm; styles longer than ovaries; capsules 3.5–5 mm.
H. brachyphyllum
26. Bark smooth and metallic-silvery, exfoliating in thin, curled plates; styles 5 mm; seeds 1–1.6 mm; young stems, leaves, and sepals glaucous.
H. lissophloeus
26. Bark corky to spongy, exfoliating in thin, papery sheets or plates; styles 2.5–4 mm; seeds 0.4–0.8 mm; young stems, leaves, and sepals not glaucous
→ 27
27. Stems: internodes 6-lined at first, soon 2-winged, then terete; bark smooth; terminal inflorescence (3–)7–32-flowered.
H. fasciculatum
27. Stems: internodes 4-lined at first, soon 4-angled, then terete; bark striate; terminal inflorescence 1–3-flowered.
H. chapmanii
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 74. FNA vol. 6, p. 84.
Parent taxa Hypericaceae > Hypericum 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
H. adpressum, H. apocynifolium, H. brachyphyllum, H. buckleyi, H. chapmanii, H. cistifolium, H. crux-andreae, H. densiflorum, H. dolabriforme, H. edisonianum, H. ellipticum, H. fasciculatum, H. frondosum, H. galioides, H. hypericoides, H. kalmianum, H. lissophloeus, H. lloydii, H. lobocarpum, H. microsepalum, H. myrtifolium, H. nitidum, H. nudiflorum, H. prolificum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. tetrapetalum
Synonyms section Myriandra Brathydium canadense, H. brathydium, H. canadense var. oviforme
Name authority (Spach) R. Keller: in H. G. A. Engler and K. Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. 95[III,6]: 214. (1893) Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 110. (1831)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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