Family: St John's-wort [Hypericaceae]


Adenosepalum

Androsaemum

Ascyreia

Elodes


Hypericum

Inodora

Oligostemma

Olympia


Spachium

Taeniocarpium

NOTE WELL : The above 'Genera' are actually 'Sections' and as such, BSBI does not list them in its Genera database, all except for the section 'Hypericum' which is also a Genus name. All the Genera names of this Hypericaceae Family begin with 'Hypericum'. (This is similar to the sections in Dandelion where all the species come under the Genera 'Taraxacum').

Clusiaceae has, in part, been subsumed into this the St John's-Wort Family, newly re-named the Hypericaceae Family. It was previously named the Guttiferae.



[HYPERICUM] St John's-worts

There are various differentiating indicators to look out for when trying to identify the various St John's Worts and Tutsans. The first is whether or not there are black dots on either the sepals or the petals or on both, and whether there are also any red dots. The second is to ascertain whether or not there are any black dots on the leaves (and if so which surface, upper or lower) and whether or not there are any translucent dots (best seen by transmitted light). The third is whether or not there are any fine ridges or lines on the stems, and if so, whether there are two or four. A fourth is whether or not the stem is round or square. These are the main identifying features, but size of flower and proportionate length of petals to sepals are further attributes helping identification.

 

St JOHN'S WORT HYBRID CHART (shrunk)
Hybrid Chart: St. JOHN'S WORT (larger)

Hypericum SPECIES LACKING HYBRIDS
(Hypericum 'Hidcote')
(Hypericum calycinum) Rose-of-Sharon
(Hypericum canadense) Irish St John's-wort
(Hypericum elodes) Marsh St John's-wort
(Hypericum forrestii) Forrest's Tutsan
(Hypericum hirsutum) Hairy St John's-wort
(Hypericum maculatum subsp. maculatum) Imperforate St John's-wort
(Hypericum maculatum subsp. obtusiusculum) Imperforate St John's-wort
(Hypericum montanum) Pale St John's-wort
(Hypericum nummularium) Round-leaved St John's-wort
(Hypericum olympicum) Olympic St Johnswort
(Hypericum pseudohenryi) Irish Tutsan
(Hypericum pulchrum) Slender St John's-wort
(Hypericum xylosteifolium) Turkish Tutsan

Rose-of-Sharon (Hypericum calycinum) Photo: © RWD

Hairy St John's Wort (Hypericum hirsutum) Photo: © RWD

Trailing St John's Wort (Hypericum humifusum) Photo: © RWD

Slender St John's Wort (Hypericum pulchrum) Photo: © RWD

Square-Stalked St John's-Wort (Hypericum tetrapterum) Photo: © RWD

Imperforate St John's-Wort (Hypericum maculatum) Photo: © RWD

Perforate St John's-Wort (Hypericum perforatum) Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) Photo: © RWD

Stinking Tutsan (Hypericum hircinum) Photo: © RWD

Family: St John's Wort [Hypericaceae]

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