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• Physical Description
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Taxonomy

Physical Description

Family Clusiaceae:

Trees, shrubs, or sometimes herbs containing resin or oil in schizogenous spaces or canals and sometimes black or red glands containing hypericin or pseudohypericin. Leaves simple, entire or rarely gland-fringed, opposite or sometimes whorled, nearly always estipulate. Flowers bisexual or unisexual, regular, hypogynous, solitary or in cymes or thyrses; bracteoles often inserted just beneath calyx and then not always easily distinguishable from sepals. Sepals (2-) 4 or 5(or 6), imbricate or decussate or rarely wholly united in bud, inner ones sometimes petaloid. Petals [3 or]4 or 5[or 6], free, imbricate or contorted in bud. Stamens many to rarely few (9), in [3 or]4 or 5 bundles (fascicles) that are free and antipetalous or variously connate, with filaments variously united or apparently free and then sometimes sterile (staminodes) ; anther dehiscence longitudinal. Staminode bundles (fasciclodes) 3-5, free and antisepalous or variously connate or absent. Ovary superior, with 2-5(-12) connate carpels, 1-12-loculed, with axile to parietal or basal placentation; ovules 1 to many on each placenta, erect to pendulous; styles 1-5[-12], free or ± united or absent; stigmas 1-12, punctiform to peltate or, when sessile, radiate, surface papillate or smooth. Fruit a septicidal or septifragal, rarely loculicidal, capsule, berry, or drupe; seeds 1 to many, without or almost without endosperm [sometimes arillate].

About 40 genera and 1200 species: mainly in tropical regions, except Hypericum and Triadenum, which are both mainly temperate in distribution; eight genera (one endemic) and 95 species (48 endemic, one introduced) in China.

The Clusiaceae are a rather economically important family. Many species, such as Mesua ferrea and Garcinia paucinervis, have hard wood. Numerous species in Calophyllum, Clusia Linnaeus, and Garcinia produce valuable commercial resin or gum. Gamboge is produced from Garcinia morella Desrousseaux and other species. Garcinia mangostana and Mammea americana Linnaeus produce well-known edible fruits. Other species, such as Calophyllum inophyllum and Garcinia indica Choisy, have oily seeds. Hypericum is important in horticulture and medicine.

^[1]

Genus Hypericum:

[Trees or] shrubs, subshrubs, or perennial herbs, glabrous or with simple hairs, with translucent ("pale") and often opaque, black or reddish ("dark") glands, laminar (immersed and sometimes abaxial) and marginal or intramarginal. Leaves opposite [or whorled], sessile or short petiolate, venation pinnate to palmate [or rarely dichotomous], margin entire or gland-fringed. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers bisexual, homostylous [or heterostylous], stellate or cupped. Sepals 5 and quincuncial or rarely 4 and decussate, unequal or equal, free or partly united. Petals (4 or) 5, contorted, golden to lemon yellow [or rarely white], abaxially sometimes tinged or veined red, persistent or deciduous after anthesis, usually asymmetric. Stamens in [4 or]5 fascicles, free and antipetalous, or some united to form apparently 4 or 3 fascicles with compound fascicle(s) antisepalous, or irregular and apparently not fasciculate, persistent or deciduous, each single fascicle with up to 70[-120] stamens; filaments slender, free from nearly base [or to 2/3 united] or apparently completely free; anthers small, dorsifixed or ± basifixed, dehiscing longitudinally, with gland on connective; sterile fascicles (fasciclodes) absent [very rare]. Ovary 3-5-loculed with axile placentae or ± completely 1-loculed with (2 or) 3[-5] parietal placentae, each placenta with [2 or] few to many ovules; styles (2 or) 3-5, free or partly to completely united, ± slender; stigmas small or ± capitate. Fruit a septicidal capsule or rarely ± indehiscent, valves often with oil-containing vittae or vesicles. Seeds small, often carinate or narrowly unilaterally winged; testa variously sculptured, not arillate [very rarely carunculate]; embryo slender, straight, with distinct slender cotyledons.

About 460 species: almost cosmopolitan except for arctic and desert areas and most of the lowland tropics; 64 species (33 endemic) in China.^[2]

Habit: Deciduous.

Flowers: 2" gold flowers in June, July. Attracts butterflies. Long blooming. • Bloom Period: April, May.

Foliage: Summer foliage: Striking electric yellow green leaves.

Images:

Distribution

Landscaping

Landscape Uses: Ground cover. Mass planting. • Care: Deer resistant. Tolerant of coastal conditions.

Growth

Culture: Plant 1' apart.

Soil: Soil: Organic, well-drained. Prefers most, well-drained soil, but will tolerate drier conditions.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Part shade or sun.

Moisture: Water Requirements: Average to moist soil.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Hypericum:

There are approximately 1,751 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: H. aegypticum maroccanum · H. aegypticum webbii · H. campestre tenue · H. nitidum exile · H. oaxacanum veracrucense · H. pauciflorum involutum · H. rumeliacum apollinis · H. arnoldianum · H. baethuricum · H. cyathiflorum · H. dawsonianum · H. dummeri · H. intermedium · H. laschii · H. moseranum · H. nothum · H. reinosae · H. rundeshageni · H. 'Anthos' · H. 'Arcadia' · H. 'Archibald' · H. 'Bosaapol' · H. 'Bosafan' · H. 'Bosafunk' · H. 'Bosaivy' · H. 'Bosajum' · H. 'Bosakin' · H. 'Bosamag' · H. 'Bosamyst' · H. 'Bosaney' · H. 'Bosaome' · H. 'Bosapin' · H. 'Bosarock' · H. 'Bosasca' · H. 'Bosaswe' · H. 'Bosavani' · H. 'Bright Blossom' · H. 'Eastleigh Gold' · H. 'Erfru' · H. 'Esmamber' · H. 'Esmfashion' · H. 'Esmopal' · H. 'Gemo' · H. 'Gold Penny' · H. 'Golden Beacon' · H. 'Goldstern' · H. 'Hidcote Gold' · H. 'Hidcote Silver Ghost' · H. 'Hidcote Variegated' (St. Johns Wort) · H. 'Hyro' · H. 'Kolmagif' · H. 'Kolmarest' · H. 'Kolmbeau' · H. 'Kolmblac' · H. 'Kolmdream' · H. 'Kolmfa' · H. 'Kolmfir' · H. 'Kolmgia' · H. 'Kolmoran' · H. 'Kolmpin' · H. 'Kolmred' · H. 'Kolmsweet' · H. 'Kolsum' · H. 'Locke' · H. 'Mrs Brabazon' · H. 'Quality First' · H. 'Red Condor' · H. 'Red Headed Woman' · H. 'Rowallane' · H. 'Summer Sunshine' · H. 'Sungold' · H. 'Taubertal' · H. 'Verputa' · H. abilianum · H. acerosum · H. aciculare · H. aciferum · H. acmosepalum · H. acostanum · H. acuminatum · H. acutifolium · H. acutisepalum · H. acutum · H. acutum boeticum · H. acutum f. humile · H. acutum f. patulum · H. acutum subsp. boeticum · H. acutum subsp. undulatum · H. acutum undulatum · H. acutum var. imperforatum · H. acutum var. rotundifolium · H. acutum var. undulatum · H. addingtonii · H. adenocarpum · H. adenocladum · H. adenophorum · H. adenophyllum · H. adenotrichum · H. adpressum · H. adpressum f. spongiosum

Bibliography

• Li Xiwen & Li Yan-hui. 1990. Guttiferae. In: Li Hsiwen [Xiwen], ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 50(2): 1-112.

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Notes

Contributors:

• Behnke Nurseries, Beltsville, MD USA
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 19, 2007.
• Merrifield Garden Center, Fairfax VA USA

Identifiers:

• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 713381

Footnotes:

1. Xi-wen Li, Jie Li, Norman K. B. Robson & Peter Stevens "Clusiaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.
2. Xi-wen Li & Norman K. B. Robson "Hypericum". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 1, 2. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.