spotted St. John's wort
Hypericum punctatum
The 'spots' on its leaves and petals are actually translucent glands filled with dark essential oils and hypericin.
- Scientific name
- Hypericum punctatum
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Malpighiales › Hypericaceae › Hypericum
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Moist meadows, fields, pastures, roadsides, and open woodland borders.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis via sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- Range
- North America, Eastern United States, Eastern Canada
- Size
- Height of 30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 feet)
- Lifespan
- Perennial (typically lives 3 to 5+ years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss due to intensive agriculture, invasive plant competition, and herbicide overuse.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch. Safe to observe at any distance. Do not ingest, as it contains hypericin which can cause photosensitivity and mild toxicity. If ingested, monitor for skin irritation or stomach upset and consult a medical professional if symptoms persist.
Hypericum punctatum , the spotted St. John's wort , is a perennial herb native to North America. The yellow-flowered herb occurs throughout eastern North America into southern Canada. The process of microsporogenesis carried out by this plant is prone to errors in chromosomal segregation. It has a diploid number of 14 or 16. Insects are attracted to the plant's pollen and the hypericin in the plant's leaves is toxic to mammals.
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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