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.