Species

Hypericum humifusum

Etymology

Hypericum: From the Greek hyper (above) and eikon (picture), the plant was hung above pictures to ward off evil spirits

Common Name(s)

trailing St John's wort

Authority

Hypericum humifusum L.

Family

Hypericaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

HYPHUM

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

Similar Taxa

H. humifusum superficially resembles the indigenous H. japonicum and H. gramineum, but these species do not have black glands on leaves or flowers. H. humifusum can always be distinguished from depauperate H. perforatum by the stems which are never erect, and the very unequal sepals.

Flower Colours

Yellow

Year Naturalised

1867

Origin

W. and C. Europe, Macronesia.

This page last updated on 3 Mar 2013