Hypericum tetrapetalum

Hypericum tetrapetalum, the fourpetal St. Johnswort,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family, Hypericaceae.[4] It is found in the Southeastern United States and Cuba.[4] It was first described by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1797.[1][2]

Hypericum tetrapetalum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Hypericum
Section: H. sect. Myriandra
Subsection: H. subsect. Ascyrum
Species:
H. tetrapetalum
Binomial name
Hypericum tetrapetalum
Synonyms[2]
  • Ascyrum amplexicaule Michx.
  • Ascyrum cubense Griseb.
  • Ascyrum tetrapetalum (Lam.) Vail

Description

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Fourpetal St. John's wort flower

Fourpetal St. Johnswort is a perennial herb or small shrub with a woody base, growing 20–100 cm (7.9–39.4 in) tall. Young stems are two- or four-lined, becoming two-lined or terete as they age. The leaves are oblong to triangular-ovate, 5–35 mm (0.20–1.38 in) long, 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in) across, with heart-shaped, clasping bases. The terminal flowerheads produce one to three flowers, each flower 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) in diameter with 4 bright yellow petals and about 100 stamens. It produces flowers throughout most of the year.[5][6] The capsules are three-parted.[5]

It is distinguished from the closely related Hypericum crux-andreae by its broader leaves with clasping bases.[5] Their distribution overlaps in southern Georgia and northern Florida, but apparent hybrids have not been observed.[4]

Distribution and habitat

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In the United States, H. tetrapetalum is found in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. It is also found in western Cuba.

H. tetrapetalum occurs in wet pinelands and ditches in sandy soil.[5][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Hypericum tetrapetalum Lam". ipni.org. International Plant Names Index. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  2. ^ a b "Hypericum tetrapetalum Lam". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  3. ^ NRCS. "Hypericum tetrapetalum". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  4. ^ a b c d "Hypericum tetrapetalum Lam. Descriptions". hypericum.myspecies.info. Retrieved 2018-11-04.
  5. ^ a b c d Robson, Norman K. B. (2015). "Hypericum tetrapetalum". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 6. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2018-11-04 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  6. ^ "Hypericum tetrapetalum (Fourpetal St. Johnswort): Plant Phenology". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 2018-11-04.