13. Hypericum punctatum Lam. (spotted St. John’s wort)
H. punctatum f. subpetiolatum (E.P. Bickn. ex Small)
Fernald
Pl. 361 a, b;
Map 1572
Plants perennial
herbs, the rootstock and stem bases often somewhat woody, often with short to
long rhizomes. Stems occurring singly or less commonly 2 or more together, 35–105
cm long, erect or ascending, rounded or bluntly and inconspicuously angled
below, green to more commonly reddish brown and usually with noticeable
yellowish brown or black dots, lines, and/or streaks, the surface rarely
peeling in thin strips with age. Leaves not jointed at the base. Leaf blades 10–55
mm long, 4–20 mm wide, oblong-elliptic to narrowly oblong or oblanceolate,
rounded to less commonly bluntly pointed or rarely shallowly notched at the
tip, narrowed or rounded to shallowly cordate at the base, sometimes somewhat
clasping the stem, the margins flat or less commonly slightly rolled under,
herbaceous in texture, with mostly 1 main vein visible toward the base, the
surfaces with usually many noticeable yellowish brown to dark green or black
dots, the upper surface green, the undersurface paler but only rarely slightly
glaucous. Inflorescences appearing as panicles of 10–200 flowers, rounded to
more or less flat-topped in outline. Flowers actinomorphic. Sepals 5, all more
or less similar in size and shape, 2.5–4.0 mm long, not becoming enlarged at
fruiting, elliptic-lanceolate, the margins flat, with abundant noticeable black
dots, lines, or streaks (additional inconspicuous yellowish brown to dark green
dots, lines, or streaks may be present). Petals 5, 4–8 mm long, oblanceolate to
oblong-elliptic, orangish yellow to bright yellow or less commonly lemon
yellow, with abundant yellowish brown to black dots, lines, and/or streaks
occurring irregularly across the entire surface, withered and inconspicuous but
usually persistent at fruiting. Stamens 25–55, the filaments not fused into
noticeable groups or occasionally fused inconspicuously into 3 or 5 groups
toward the base. Ovary completely 3-locular (sometimes incompletely so at the
very tip), the placentation axile. Styles 3, free above the base, more or less
spreading, persistent, the stigmas capitate. Fruits 4–6 mm long, ovoid, widest
below the midpoint, tapered to the minute beaks, bluntly triangular to more or
less circular in cross-section, the surface usually with abundant yellowish
brown dots and/or lines. Seeds numerous, 0.6–0.9 mm long, the surface with a
fine network of ridges and pits, sometimes appearing inconspicuously
longitudinally ribbed, light brown to brown. 2n=16. June–September.
Scattered nearly
throughout the state (eastern U.S. west to Minnesota and Texas; Canada).
Bottomland forests, mesic upland forests, banks of streams, rivers, and spring
branches, bottomland prairies, upland prairies, glades, and ledges and tops of
bluffs; also fallow fields, old fields, pastures, ditches, railroads,
roadsides, and disturbed, open areas.