The World Flora Online

SELECTED REFERENCES Adams, W. P. 1973. Clusiaceae of the southeastern United States. J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 89: 62–71. Gillett, J. M. and N. K. B. Robson. 1981. The St. John’s worts of Canada (Guttiferae). Publ. Bot. (Ottawa) 11: 1–40. Robson, N. K. B. 1977. Studies in the genus Hypericum L. (Guttiferae) 1. Infrageneric classification. Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Bot. 5: 283–355. Stevens, P. F. 2007b. Hypericaceae. In: K. Kubitzki et al., eds. 1990+. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. 10+ vols. Berlin etc. Volume 9, pp. 194–210.

Herbs, annual or perennial, subshrubs, or shrubs [trees], glabrous or hairy, hairs simple [stellate to dendroid]. Leaves opposite [alternate or whorled], simple, estipulate, sessile, subsessile, pseudopetiolate, or petiolate; blade with pellucid glands and/or canals containing essential oils, margins entire [rarely gland-fringed], surfaces with black, reddish, or amber glands containing hypericin and pseudohypericin. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, cymose [thyrsoid] or solitary flowers. Flowers homostylous [heterostylous]; sepals persistent or deciduous, (3–)4–5, glanduliferous like leaves; petals persistent or deciduous, 3–5[–6], distinct, imbricate or contorted [decussate], orange, pink, or yellow, [white, red], sometimes green- or red-tinged, [sometimes with adaxial scale], glanduliferous; stamens persistent or deciduous, in 2 whorls, sometimes in fascicles, sometimes reduced to staminodes; filaments distinct or ± connate; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally; ovary superior, 2–5-merous; placentation axile to parietal; ovules 1–2+ on each placenta, anatropous; styles 2–5, distinct or basally [to completely] connate, elongate; stigmas minute or ± expanded. Fruits capsular [baccate], dehiscence septicidal from apex [loculicidal]. Seeds sometimes carinate [winged or carunculate]; endosperm absent; embryo straight [curved]; cotyledons 25–40% of total embryo length.

Ovary of 3–5 (rarely 1) carpels, 1-celled or imperfectly or perfectly 2–5-celled; styles the same number as the carpels, slender, free or rarely somewhat united, with a terminal capitate to clavate stigma; ovules axile or pendulous, numerous and 2-seriate, or few or solitary Leaves opposite or verticillate, rarely alternate, simple, entire or glandular-dentate, rarely coriaceous, usually thin and marked with translucent or black dots, rarely small and scale-like; stipules absent; indumentum when present often stellate and ferruginous Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees or climbers, with a resinous juice Sepals 4–5, imbricate Seeds without endosperm; embryo straight or arcuate Flowers terminal or rarely axillary, from solitary to cymosepaniculate or corymbose, usually yellow or white, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic Fruit a septicidal or rarely loculicidal capsule, or a berry or drupe Stamens numerous or rarely subdefinite, hypogynous, usually variously united into 3–5 or more bundles, rarely free; anthers 2-celled, opening by longitudinal slits Petals 4–5, hypogynous, imbricate or contorted Leaves opposite or verticillate, rarely alternate, simple, entire or glandular-dentate, rarely coriaceous, usually thin and marked with translucent or black dots, rarely small and scale-like; stipules absent; indumentum when present often stellate and ferruginous Herbs, shrubs or rarely trees or climbers, with a resinous juice Sepals 4–5, imbricate Seeds without endosperm; embryo straight or arcuate Flowers terminal or rarely axillary, from solitary to cymosepaniculate or corymbose, usually yellow or white, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic Fruit a septicidal or rarely loculicidal capsule, or a berry or drupe Stamens numerous or rarely subdefinite, hypogynous, usually variously united into 3–5 or more bundles, rarely free; anthers 2-celled, opening by longitudinal slits Petals 4–5, hypogynous, imbricate or contorted

Fruit a capsule, berry or drupe Herbs, suffrutices, shrubs or trees, rarely climbers; juice resinous Ovules numerous, few or solitary in each loculus, axile, ascending, rarely pendulous Seeds without endosperm Petals imbricate or contorted, white, yellow or variously marked or tinged red Sepals imbricate, often glandular Ovary 1–5-locular; styles usually free Stamens numerous, hypogynous, often united into bundles Leaves opposite, verticillate or alternate, simple, often gland-dotted; stipules absent; indumentum often stellate Flowers regular, A5; Inflorescence terminal, cymose-paniculate, or variously reduced to a single flower Herbs, suffrutices, shrubs or trees, rarely climbers; juice resinous Ovules numerous, few or solitary in each loculus, axile, ascending, rarely pendulous Seeds without endosperm Petals imbricate or contorted, white, yellow or variously marked or tinged red Sepals imbricate, often glandular Ovary 1–5-locular; styles usually free Stamens numerous, hypogynous, often united into bundles Leaves opposite, verticillate or alternate, simple, often gland-dotted; stipules absent; indumentum often stellate Flowers regular, A5; Inflorescence terminal, cymose-paniculate, or variously reduced to a single flower