This 80-acre native prairie remnant is owned by the Missouri Prairie Foundation and is jointly managed with the Conservation Department.
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Scientific Name
Hypericum perforatum
Family
Clusiaceae (St. John’s-worts)
Description
Common St. John’s-wort is a shrublike, much branched, perennial herb, with sometimes woody stem bases, and leafy shoots. Flowers are many, yellow, in flat or domed inflorescences. Petals 5, broad at base, with relatively few black dots, usually at or near the margins; sepals with or without a few yellowish-brown to black dots. Blooms May–September. Leaves many, crowded, opposite; each pair is at right angles with those above and below (decussate), with many translucent spots; sessile, linear to oblong, to 1½ inches long.
Similar species: There are 14 species of Hypericum recorded for Missouri. Some of the most common are these natives: shrubby St. John’s-wort (H. prolificum), St. Andrew’s cross (H. hypericoides), nits-and-lice (H. drummondii), pineweed (H. gentianoides), dwarf St. John’s-wort (H. mutilum), spotted St. John’s-wort (H. punctatum), and round-fruited St. John’s-wort (H. sphaerocarpum).
Other Common Names
Klamath Weed
Size
Height: to 3 feet.
Where To Find
Scattered statewide.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs in glades, prairies, and forest edges; also fields, pastures, levees, ditches, roadsides, railroads, and open, disturbed areas. A native of Europe. In Missouri, this species mainly colonizes roadsides and other disturbed areas. In western states, however, it is a major weed of rangelands. Pigment chemicals, including hypericin, which account for the dark dots on the petals and leaves, cause livestock to develop swollen mouths and ears and body sores upon sunlight exposure.
Status
Over the years, St. John’s-worts have had different family names. Today, most scientists agree they should be in the Clusiaceae. In the past, they’ve been in the Hypericaceae, a more restricted family excluding many tropical members. An alternative name for the Clusiaceae, which you sometimes see, is Guttiferae. That name, which came from these plants’ guttiferous (resinous-sap-yielding) character, was used before botanists standardized all family names to have the ending “-aceae.”
Human Connections
In Europe, this species had a long history of various medicinal uses and to protect against witchcraft. Modern studies have shown that the active ingredient, hypericin, is effective in treating mild to moderate depression. But check with your doctor, as it can interact with other drugs.
Ecosystem Connections
Like many weedy Eurasian plants, this species traveled with Europeans as they spread across the globe. In many countries, and some US states, it is a genuine invasive weed, outcompeting native plants and degrading native ecosystems. Its poisoning of livestock makes it even less welcome.
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Credit
Jamie Nielsen, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Service, Bugwood.org
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Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org
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Richard Webb, self-employed horticulturist, Bugwood.org
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Similar Species
Similar Species
Where to See Species
This 655-acre native prairie was purchased from Vaughn Lumpee in 1987. Mr. Lumpee ran a cattle operation on this area and he had a great fondness for the cowboy lifestyle.
About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri
A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!