Species

Hypericum perforatum

Etymology

Hypericum: From the Greek hyper (above) and eikon (picture), the plant was hung above pictures to ward off evil spirits
perforatum: From the Latin perforatus 'pierced with holes', depending on the species this may refer to the foliage covered in punctate oil glands

Common Name(s)

St John's wort

Authority

Hypericum perforatum L.

Family

Hypericaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

HYPPER

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Habitat

Terrestrial. Disturbed short tussockland, herbfield, bare land.

Features

Hairless perennial herb to 1 m tall. Roots with slender, creeping rhizomes. Stems singly or severally from base, erect, round with 2 ridges, woody at base, upper branches in opposite pairs at 45 degrees. Leaves in opposite pairs, stalkless, narrow to oval, 10-27 x 1-8 mm, with many translucent glandular dots. Flowerhead a terminal, flat-topped panicle, dense, many-flowered. Flowers star-like, 8-20 mm diam, golden yellow, with 5 black-dotted petals, Dec-May. Stems usually die in autumn, leaving prostrate, barren, leafy shoots, often forming dense mats.

Similar Taxa

may be confused with many other closely related Hypericum spp, 5 adventive and 2 native. The native species lack black glandular dots, and are low to mat forming.

Flowering

December, January, February, March, April, May

Flower Colours

Black,Yellow

Year Naturalised

1869

Origin

Eur, W Asia, N Afr

Reason For Introduction
Accidental

Life Cycle Comments
Perennial. Relatively long-lived.

Reproduction
Reproduces from seed and rhizomes.

Seed
The numerous seeds are contained in capsules.

Dispersal
Seeds via wind (minor), possibly livestock. Rhizomes via soil and water movement.

Tolerances
Tolerates hot to cold temperatures, damp and drought, wind damage and is not grazed (poisonous).

This page last updated on 3 Mar 2013