Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Hypericum perforatum subsp. veronense

Flower showing black dots on the petal margins, and buds. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Scottsdale Bush Heritage Reserve near Bredbo

Flowering stems. Photographer Don Wood, Bungonia State Conservation Area east of Goulburn

Seed cases. Photographer Luis Fernandez Garcia, Spain

Leafy stem showing smaller leaves at the base. Photographer N Sloth, Denmark

Flowering plant. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, Scottsdale Bush Heritage Reserve near Bredbo

Common name

St. Johns wort

Family

Hypericaceae

Where found

Dry forest, woodland, grassy areas, disturbed places, roadsides, and along streams. Widespread.

Notes

Perennial herb to 1.2 m high, hairless.  It normally produces several rigid erect stems each year from a woody rootstock. Stems somewhat woody at the base. Younger stems often reddish, weakly 2-ridged.  Leaves opposite each other, 0.5–4 cm long, 1.5-12 mm wide, stalkless, light green, dotted with numerous small oil glands which can be seen when held up to the light.  Flowers yellow to orange, 10–30 mm in diameter, with 5 petals, often with small black dots along the margins.  Flowers clustered.  Flowering: spring-autumn.  Seed cases reddish to brown when ripe, sticky when young.  

Family was Clusiaceae.

General Biosecurity Duty all NSW (as Hypericum perforatum). General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions in the Central Tablelands and South East areas, NSW (as Hypericum perforatum). Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.

PlantNET description (as Hypericum perforatum):  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hypericum~perforatum  (accessed 20 April 2021)