Small St John's Wort
Hypericum gramineum
An erect herb growing to 40 cm tall with four-ridged stems. Oblong leaves are a bluish-green colour, in opposite pairs, and have wavy leaf margins. Flowers are orange-yellow in colour and cup-shaped on the ends of four-sided stems longer than the leaves Leaves curve backwards.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Herbs |
| Distinctive Features | Flowerstems with four ridges, longer than the leaves. |
| Biology | Perennial. Flowers have both male and female parts. Insect pollinated. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Oct-Jan |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Malpighiales |
| Family | Hypericaceae |
| Genus | Hypericum |
| Species | japonicum |
This native Australian species can coexist with the introduced St John's Wort and is often confused with it. This species can be distinguished by the presence of four longitudinal ridges on the stem while the introduced species has only two, and also has black dots (oil glands) on the leaves and petals.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | Very similar to H. japonicum but has an erect habit, larger leaves which curve backwards, and it tolerates a drier habitat. |
| Native Status | Native |