Hypericum maculatum

Spotted St. John's wort (Hypericum maculatum )

The Spotted St. John's wort (Hypericum maculatum ), also called edge St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family of St. John's wort plants and belongs to the genus of locust herbs.

Its specific characteristics are dotted over the entire surface, and only a few flowers translucent glands on the leaves.

Description

The Spotted St. John's wort is a perennial, herbaceous plant, the plant height of about 25 to 60, rarely reaches 80 centimeters, with woody, creeping base axis. The stem is hollow and square with delicate longitudinal ridges. The branches are at an acute angle from the stem. Unlike many other types of St. John's Wort his broad, oval leaves are occupied by only a few translucent glands.

In a paniculate inflorescence, numerous flowers. The hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry with a double perianth. The sepals are ovate to rounded and entire. The five golden yellow and black spotted ( dotted or dashed) petals have a length of up to 12 mm. Up to 100 conspicuous stamens are grouped in tufts. The flowering period extends from June to August.

Occurrence

The Spotted St. John's wort is used in West Asia and Europe without the Mediterranean and grows from the lowlands up to an altitude of 2600 m above sea level. As location rather moist soils, such as grease meadows, tall herb fringe communities and forest clearings preferred.

System

Taxonomically several subspecies with different synonyms can be distinguished. H. maculatum and H. perforatum form a very complex variable clan. The taxonomic significance lighter oil glands in the leaves ( " transparent dotting " ) is unclear. (Quote from WebFlora ). The distinguished in Germany subspecies are:

• Hypericum maculatum subsp. maculatum Syn: Hypericum maculatum ( Spotted ordinary John's wort): The bald, erect stems is continuous 4- edged wingless and hollow.
• Hypericum maculatum subsp. desetangsii ( Bastard St John's wort ): This half-light plant thrives in warm temperate to warm maritime climate on strongly interacting moist soils.
• Hypericum maculatum subsp. obtusiusculum ( Stumpfblättriges spotted St. John's wort ): This subspecies is similar to ssp. maculatum but the stem is above a 2 - edged and leaves no oil glands. The inflorescence is spreading wider and are blunt angle on the stem. The petals are up to 15 mm long and are each occupied with long, black bars and less points.