Hypericum hypericoides

Author: Kelly Kurz-Blalock


Common Name: (Fernald.,1950)

Higher Taxa: (Fernald.,1950)

Identification:Vines, describes the species as follows, "leafy, glabrous subshrub .5 to 3 ft, either branched at the base or branched above. Flowers bloom June-September, terminal or axillary on rather short, lateral, leafy stems. Petals 4, convolute in the bud, dropping away early, bright yellow, linear to oblong. Fruit, capsule about .33 in. long, ovoid to spindle shaped, flattened, striate, styles persistent, seeds numerous. Leaves opposite, or sometimes fascited, the larger leaves often subtended by smaller ones, base narrow margin entire, oblong to linear or oblanceoate, thin, surface bright green and glabrous, punctale. Twigs much branced, slender brown, flattened when young"(Vines.,1960).

The Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1708-1778), first identified and recorded Hypericum hypericoides, under the genus Ascyrum, in the book Species Plantarum pg 788. Later, Crantz would put the species hypericoides, under the genus Hypericum (Jackson.,1895).

Table I: North American Distribution of Hyericum hypericoides

Hypericum hypericoides

AREA

STATUS

REFERENCES

North America:
Continental United States; Canada

Yes

Radford et. al., 1968

Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern Canada

Yes

Gleason., 1952

Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV

Yes

Radford et.al., 1968

Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV

Yes

Radford et. al., 1968

Coastal Plain

Widespread

Radford et. al., 1968

Piedmont

Widespread

Radford et. al., 1968

Blue Ridge Mountains

Widespread

Radford et. al., 1968

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Yes

Radford et.al., 1968

Ridge and Valley

Yes

Fernald., 1950

Cumberland Plateau

Yes

Fernald., 1950

Central Arch

?

-

Georgia

Widespread

Radford et. al., 1968

Clarke County, Georgia

Yes

Jones & Coile, 1988

Sams Farm

?

-

Old Field

?

-

Wetland

?

-

Wood

Probably

Kelly Kurz-Blalock, Pers. Guess

1-Hectare Plot

?

-

Geography: Hypericoides can be found throughout the tropics and in much of the southeastern United States.
See table for further details.

How to Encounter: The species hypericoides, "grows well in a variety of habitats: open, well drained upland woodlands, pine barrens on sand hills and ridges, flood plains and wet woodlands, hammocks, moist wet thickets, pine flatwoods, cypress-gum depression, and bogs"(Godfrey.,1981).

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