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HYPERICUM*.

Linnean Class and Order. POLYADELPHIA+ POLYA'NDRIA. Natural Order. HYPERICI NEE, Juss.-Lindl. Syn. p. 41.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. p. 47.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 486.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 504.-HYPE'RICA, Juss. Gen. Pl. p. 254-Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 143.

GEN. CHAR. Calyx (fig. 2.) inferior, of 1 sepal, deeply divided into 5 nearly egg-shaped, concave, somewhat unequal, permanent segments. Corolla of 5 egg-shaped or oblong, blunt, spreading petals. Filaments (fig. 1.) numerous, hair-like, united at the base into 3 or 5 sets (Polyadelphous). Anthers small, roundish, tremulous. Germen (fig. 2.) superior, egg-shaped. Styles (fig. 2.). terminal, simple, usually 3, sometimes 1, 2, or 5, distant, the length of the stamens. Stigmas simple. Capsule (fig. 4.) membranous, with as many cells as there are styles. Seeds very numerous, generally oblong, roundish, without albumen. Distinguished from Androsæmum, t. 39, by the membranous capsule.

Ten species British.

HYPERICUM PERFORATUM. Common Perforated St. John's-wort.

SPEC. CHAR. Styles three. Stem two-edged, (fig. 6.). Leaves elliptic-oblong, blunt, with copious pellucid dots. Segments of the Calyx spear-shaped.

Eng. Bot. t. 295.-Curt. Fl. Lond. t. Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 1105.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p.333.-Sm. Fl. Brit.v. ii. p. 801. Eng. Fl. v. iii. p. 325.- Woodv. Med. Bot. v.i p. 29. t. 10.—With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 870.—Gray's Nat. Arṛ. v. ii. p. 633.-Lind. Syn. p. 42.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 335.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v.i. p. 416.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 234.-Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 165.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. i. p. 351.-Relh. Fl. Cant. p. 307.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 221.-Grev. Fl. Edin. p. 164.-Fl. Devon. pp. 127 & 178.-Johnston's Fl. of Berwick, v. i. p. 167.— Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 218-Mack. Cat. of Pl. of Ireland, p. 68.-Fl Bath. p. 9‡. Hypericum, Ray's Syn. p. 342.-Johnson's Gerarde, p. 539.

LOCALITIES.-In woods, hedges, thickets, and on dry banks. Common. Perennial.-Flowers in July and August.

Root woody, tufted, of a brown colour, somewhat creeping. Stem about two feet high, upright, woody, smooth, nearly round, alternately two-edged (fig. 6.), much branched. Branches opposite, nearly upright, two-edged. Leaves very numerous, crossing each other in pairs, elliptical or egg-shaped, blunt, various in width, of a yellowish green, with 7 or 5 semitransparent lines, and several

Fig. 1. Stamens.-Fig. 2. Calyx, Germen, and Styles.-Fig. 3. A Stamen magnified.-Fig, 4. Capsule, accompanied at the base by the permanent calyx.Fig. 5. Transverse section of ditto.-Fig. 6. A small bit of one of the Branches a little magnified, to show the two sharp edges.

*From uper, Gr. against, and eicon, Gr. an image or spirit; it being considered an amulet or preservative from evil spirits. Dr. WITHERING. + See Androsa'mum officinále, p. 39, note t

$ "Flora Bathoniensis; or, A Catalogue of the Plants indigenous to the vicinity of Bath. By Charles C. BABING TON, M. A. F. L. S. &c. Bath, 1834," pp. 74. A very useful pocket guide to the localities of the Phænogamous Plants growing wild in the neighbourhood of Bath.-In this work the plants are arranged according to the Natural System.

dots on the surface, which appear more distinct if held up to the light. Flowers bright yellow, dotted and streaked with black, or dark purple, numerous, in dense, forked, terminal panicles. Calyx segments (fig. 2.) narrow, spear-shaped, taper-pointed. Petals striated, set near the edges, and sometimes over the whole surface with very dark purple glands; one of the sides entire, the other irregularly notched. Filaments numerous, united at the bottom into 3 scarcely distinct parcels (fig. 1.). Anthers 2-lobed, lobes roundish, with a small, globular, black gland between them (see fig. 3.); this "little black gland," Mr. CURTIS observes, “at one view distinguishes this species, without any further investigation." Germen (fig. 2.) egg-shaped. Styles 3, thread-shaped, yellow. Stigmas simple, sometimes crimson. Capsule (fig. 4.) large, eggshaped.

"As this plant was found to bleed at the slightest touch, it was supposed to have a vulnerary quality, and became the 'Balm of the Warrior's wound,' giving a blood-red colour to every composition, whether of a spirituous or oily, nature, into which it entered. The essential oil, the seat of this colour, is aromatic, and possibly tonic or stimulating; without much acrimony." Engl. Fl.

The dried plant boiled in water with alum, dyes wool of a yellow colour.

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"In former times the Hypericum or St. John's-wort, was looked upon as a plant of power' in the expulsion of demons, in hindering witches of their will, and in prognosticating the good or bad fortune of young men and maidens, as to their obtaining partners for life. In Lower Saxony the young girls, to this day, gather sprigs of it on Midsummer night, and fasten them to the walls of their bed-chamber. If, on the ensuing morning, the sprig remains fresh, a suitor may be expected; if it droop or wither, the maid is destined to an early grave. Hypericum perforatum is the species which was used in this country; and the belief in its virtues is said still to linger among the people of North Wales. This superstition gave origin to some beautiful and romantic lines, transcribed from a German Almanack, and published in BLACKWOOD'S Magazine for January, 1821. These lines have been copied into Times Telescope for 1823, p. 163.-FORSTER'S Perennial Calendar, p. 310.WITHERING'S Bot. Arr. (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 87 1. — JOHNSTON'S Flora of Berwick-upon-Tweed, v.i. p. 166; and into a very delightful little volume, The Naturalist's Poetical Companion, p. 59.

The Natural Order HYPERICI NEE is composed of dicotyledonous Herbaceous Plants, and Shrubs, or even Trees, with a resinous juice. Leaves opposite, simple, dotted. Flowers generally yellow. Inflorescence variable. Calyx in 4 or 5, very deep, somewhat unequal segments, with glandular dots. Corolla of 4 or 5 hypogynous Petals, which are spirally twisted previous to their evolution, often having black dots. Stamens indefinite, hypogynous (inserted below the germen), in 3 or more parcels. Anthers versatile (vane-like). Ovary (Germen) single, superior, surmounted by several Styles, which are sometimes united into one; Stigmas simple. Fruit a capsule or berry, of many valves and many cells; the inner edges of the valves being curved inwards. Seeds numerous, very minute, usually tapering; Embryo straight, with an inferior Radicle, and no Albumen. Most of the species of this family of plants, have, in the substance of their leaves, transparent glands, which, on being held between the eye and the light, look like so many little holes. This character, together with the very numerous stamina and the polyspermous cells of the fruit, perfectly distinguish the Hypericineæ from the families that are allied to it." See Lindl. Syn. and Rich. by Macgilliv.

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