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Photographer: Merel R. Black
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Family Hypericaceae
Hypericum punctatum Lam.
spotted St. John's-wort
Hypericum: ancient Greek name derived from hyper, "above," and eikon, "picture," from old practice of placing flowers above an image in the house to ward off evil spirits at the midsummer festival of Walpurgisnacht, which later became feast of St. John
punctatum: Latin meaning generally "dotted"
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, perennial, 2'-3' tall forb, usually with only a few branches below the inflorescence |
| Flower: | yellow, 5-parted, 1/3"-1/2" wide, on short stalks, dotted with amber glands and black lines; inflorescence a small, dense, branched cluster (cyme); blooms June-Aug. |
| Fruit: | 3-chambered capsule  |
| Leaf: | oblong, blunt, covered with dot-like glands, more than 1/3" wide  |
| Habitat: | moist to dry; woods, forests, openings, edges |
| (Glossary) |
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