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Perforate St.
John-wort
Flowers: June - September. Variable height up to 70 cm.
St. John's-wort has become quite a well known plant over the
last few decennia for its medicinal properties, because its tropho-restorative
properties for the nervous system make it a viable and
effective alternative to pharmaceutical anti-depressants. The
plant which is used for this purpose is now commonly known as
plain "St. Johnswort", although botanically it would be
more correct to speak of Perforate St. John's-wort (Hypericum
perforatum). The un-stalked, opposite leaves of H. perforatum
have lots of large translucent dots, which are oil glands. If you
a leaf up to the light of the sky, you will be able to see these
dots even more clearly. The many yellow flowers are borne in
panicles and have prominent red anthers. The red colouring in the
flowers gives a magnificent red colour to infused oils made from
them. St. John's-wort infused flower oil is just as useful as it
looks good and can be used for healing wounds, fibrositis and for
soothing the awful pain of shingles (inflamed nerve ends).
This is a plant of dry rough grassland, shrub, open woods
and hedges on non-acid soil. It can be found throughout Britain,
but is rare in Central and North Scotland.
Hairy St. John-wort
Flowers: July - August.
An erect, hairy perennial plant up to 110 cm high. It also has
translucent dots on the leaves and flowers with red anthers.
Hairy St. John-wort grows generally on calcareous soils in
woodland, scrub, rough grass, road verges and near riverbanks. It
can be found throughout England (except for in the South-West),
but in other parts of the British Isles it is scattered or scarce.
Slender St. John-wort
Flowers: June - August.
A hairless perennial up to 40 cm high. Its stems are much more
slender than Perforate and Hairy St. John's-wort. Its yellow
flowers are reddish tinged and have black glands on the sepal
margins.
It can be found in woods, heaths and dry, grassy places on acid,
well-drained soils. It is widespread throughout Britain, except
for the East Midlands and East Anglia, where these plants are
scarce.
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Hairy St. John's wort
Slender St. John's wort
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