Hypericum gentianoides (Pineweed)

Hypericum gentianoides

Hypericum gentianoides (L.) Britton Sterns & Poggenb.

Sarothra gentianoides L.

Pineweed, Orange Grass

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	gentianoides	“Like a gentian”

About plant names...

Pineweed (also called orange grass) is a native of North America.

Identification: I first noticed pineweed because of its tiny red fruits, growing on thin plants that seem to consist of stems without leaves. I wondered if this was even a “regular” flowering plant—it looked like a ground pine or something similar. Its stems are wiry and green. It reaches 3-18" (7.6-45 cm) in height, usually about 6" (15 cm). Leaves are tiny and narrow, about ¼" (6.3 mm) long. Tiny yellow flowers up to ¼" (6.3 mm) across appear in the spring. The fruits in the fall tip the multiply branched stems with pointed, dark red tips.

Online References:

Hypericum gentianoides on Missouriplants.com

Hypericum gentianoides on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Hypericum gentianoides on Missouriplants.com

Hypericum gentianoides at the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (PDF)

Hypericum gentianoides on Southeastern Flora, the Southeastern U.S. Plant Identification Resource

Hypericum gentianoides at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Hypericum gentianoides at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

References:

Newcomb, Lawrence, Morrison, Gordon (Illus.), Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, Little, Brown and Company, 1977, p. 172

7/16/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, MA
≈ 6 × 9" (16 × 23 cm)

7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 6 × 9" (14 × 22 cm)

8/6/2017 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, NH
≈ 3½ × 3" (8.7 × 8.5 cm)

Hypericum gentianoides description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 12 Oct 2018.

7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 6 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)

7/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 6 × 4½" (15 × 11 cm)

9/25/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 17 cm)

8/7/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, MA
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)

8/22/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, MA
≈ 12 × 8" (31 × 20 cm) ID is uncertain

Range:

About this map...