Hypericum mutilum (Dwarf St. John’s-wort)

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Hypericum mutilum L.

Dwarf St. John’s-wort

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Malpighiales	A broad group encompassing 16,000 species
Family	Hypericaceae	St. John’s Wort family
Genus	Hypericum	From ancient Greek hyper, “above,” and eikon, “picture,” from an old practice of putting flowers above a picture to ward off evil spirits
Species	mutilum	Divided as though torn, said of some leaves

About plant names...

Dwarf St. John's wort is native to portions of Europe and North America.

Identification: Plants are 4-18″ (10-45 cm) tall, sometimes up to 2½′ (79 cm), heavily branched, with a shrublike habit. Branches may be 4-angled or smooth, tapering, and sometimes winged. Leaves are roughly oval in shape, and attached directly to the stem (sessile). They are opposite, unlobed, ½-1½″ (1.3-3.8 cm) long and ¼-¾″ (6.3-19 mm) across. Flowers are ¼″ (6.3 mm) in size, yellow or yellow-orange, with five petals and 5-15 stamens. Beneath the petals of each flower there are somtimes green bracts that are narrower but roughly the same length, one for each petal. Blooms from July to October. Fruits are 1/16-⅛″ (2-3.5 mm) in length.

Medical: Hypericin, a component all in species of St. John's wort, has antidepressant properties. It can also cause photosensitivity if it is handled or ingested.

Below is a comparison of some species of St. John’s wort:

8/28/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9 cm)

8/9/2023 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

8/28/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9 cm)

	*Hypericum ellipticum*	You are here Hypericum mutilum	*Hypericum perforatum*
Common Name	pale St. John’s-wort	dwarf St. John’s-wort	St. John’s wort
Plant	8-20″ (20-50 cm) tall. Stems are hairless, somewhat 4-angled.<	4-18″ (10-45 cm) tall, sometimes up to 2½′ (79 cm), heavily branched, with a shrublike habit. Branches may be 4-angled or smooth, tapering, and sometimes winged.	Less than 3′ (91 cm) in height.
Flowers	Yellow, in clusters of 1 to a few at stem and branch tips. Each flower is ⅜-½″ (1-1.4 cm) around, with 5 yellow petals and 5 pale green sepals, a fountain of yellow stamens, and three styles fused into one in the center. (Rarely, the number of sepals and petals may be 4 or 6.) There are in excess of 100 stamens. Flowers appear from July to August.	¼″ (6.3 mm) in size, yellow or yellow-orange, with five petals and 5-15 stamens. Beneath the petals of each flower there are somtimes green bracts that are narrower but roughly the same length, one for each petal. Blooms from July to October.	Bright yellow, star-shaped, with five petals and many yellow stamens about the length of the petals. Petals have serrated edges and small black dots on the serrations. Flowers are up to ⅞″ (2.5 cm) across.
Leaves	⅜-1½″ (1-4 cm) × ⅛-¾″ (3-20 mm), and elliptical-oblong in shape, generally rounded at leaf tips, and attached directly to the stem (sessile).	Roughly oval in shape, and attached directly to the stem (sessile). They are opposite, unlobed, ½-1½″ (1.3-3.8 cm) long and ¼-¾″ (6.3-19 mm) across.	Oval, about ⅜″ (1.2 cm) long, with smooth edges, occurring in opposing pairs.
Fruit	Capsules are ⅛-3/16″ (4-6 mm) × ⅛-3/16″ (3.5-5 mm), ellipsoid, and rounded to a tip.	1/16-⅛″ (2-3.5 mm) in length.
Range/ Zones
Habitats		Sandy forest floodplains, sandy swamps, moist to wed sandy prairies; damp, sandy, acidic areas in general
Type	Wild	Wild	Wild
Occurrence			Common, sometimes invasive

	*Hypericum punctatum*
Common Name	spotted St. John’s-wort
Plant	5-41″ (13-105 cm) tall, with hairless red or green stems.
Flowers	Yellow, 5-petaled flowers, densely clustered at stem tips, are ¼-½″ (8-15 mm) around. Sepals are *also dotted with rows of black dots.* At the center of each flower is a round central ovary, from which 3 styles extend. The tip of each style is often red. Surrounding this are more than 13 stamens. Flowers appear from May to Sep.
Leaves	Leaves are unlobed, hairless, opposite, oblong to oval elliptic, ¾-2″ (1.9-5.7 cm) long × ¼-½″ (8.3-12 mm) wide. *New leaves are spotted with tiny black glands.* They are typically widest somewhat past the midpoint. Leaves are usually attached to the stem (sessile).
Fruit	Upright, ovoid or teardrop-shaped capsule ⅛-¼″ (4-6.3 mm) long, reddish to deep purple.
Range/ Zones
Type	Wild

Online References:

Illinois Wildflowers

Missouriplants.com

Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Discover Life

Biology.burke.washington.edu

Luirig.altervista.org

9/11/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (16 × 11 cm)

7/19/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

8/13/2017 · Burges Pond, Westford, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm)

8/3/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) ID is uncertain

8/13/2017 · Burges Pond, Westford, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

7/3/2012 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)

8/28/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 16 cm)

8/28/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Hypericum mutilum L. var. latisepalum Fernald

Hypericum mutilum L. var. parviflorum (Willd.) Fernald

Hypericum mutilum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Oct 2021.

7/3/2012 · Yellow Trail from Pearl Hill State Park to Willard Brook State Park, Ashby, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)

7/19/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) ID is uncertain

Coniical red fruits are about 11 mm, with 1 mm tan seeds. · 8/9/2023 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

8/13/2017 · Burges Pond, Westford, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm)

The linear leaves formed these rather elegant curlicues after being uprooted. · 7/29/2023 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

7/31/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 11 × 7″ (26 × 18 cm)

8/3/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain

7/19/2012 · Beaver Brook Association Conservation Lands, Rte. 130, Hollis, New Hampshire · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

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