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Dunatchik, David

Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides

Hypericum hypericoides (L.) Crantz ssp. hypericoides

St. Andrew's-cross

Clusiaceae (Mangosteen Family)

Synonym(s): Ascyrum hypericoides, Ascyrum hypericoides var. oblongifolium, Ascyrum linifolium

USDA Symbol: HYHYH

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), PR (N)

Pairs of small, oval leaves lines the sparse, ascending to spreading branches of this 1-5 ft. shrubby plant. Showy, yellow, flowers with numerous stamens top the branches either singly or in branched clusters from the upper axils. The four petals of each flower are arranged in a cross.

Three well-defined subspecies of Hypericum hypericoides occur in the eastern U.S.: ssp. hypericoides, ssp. multicaule, and ssp. oblongifolium.

From the Image Gallery

4 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DE , FL , GA , IL , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA
Native Distribution: FL to e. TX, n. to Nantucket I., PA, s. IN & s.e. KS
Native Habitat: Dry woods; pine barrens; sand hills & ridges; floodplains

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Description: Light, sandy or rocky soils
Conditions Comments: Three well-defined varieties occur in the eastern U.S.: var. hypericoides – FL to TX & Mex., n. to VA & TN; var. multicaule – GA to e. TX, n. to MA, s. IN & s.e. MO; and var. oblongifolium – FL to MS, n. to MD & s.e. MO

Propagation

Description: Root division in winter; seeds sown in spring after a winter of cold, moist storage
Seed Collection: Collect seeds when the capsules are no longer green but before they split open.
Commercially Avail: yes

Herbarium Specimen(s)

NPSOT 1086 Collected Oct 4, 1996 in Bexar County by Robert N. Nelson

1 specimen(s) available in the Digital Herbarium

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hypericum hypericoides ssp. hypericoides

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-14
Research By: TWC Staff

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