''Hypericum pulchrum'' is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Hypericaceae Hypericaceae is a plant family in the order Malpighiales, comprising six to nine genera and up to 700 species, and commonly known as the St. John's wort family. Members are found throughout the world apart from extremely cold or dry habitats. '' ...

, commonly known as slender St John's-wort. It is native to Western Europe.

Description

''Hypericum pulchrum'' is a dainty,

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

plant growing high. It has erect smooth stems without ridges or wings. It has a few opposite pairs of untoothed, heart-shaped leaves that half clasp the stem. They are dotted with transparent spots and often have inrolled margins. The terminal

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

has rich yellow flowers. Each of these has five small, broad, blunt sepals with black dots on the margins. The five petals are red beneath and have red and black dots on the margins. There are three styles and many

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s with orange anthers in three bundles. The fruit is a

dehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

capsule.McKlintock, D. and R. S. R. Fitter. The Pocket Guide to Wild Flowers. (1956) Collins, London. P28.Slender St John's Wort
West Highland Flora. Retrieved 2011-09-14.

Habitat

''Hypericum pulchrum'' is a

calcifuge A calcifuge is a plant that does not tolerate alkaline (basic) soil. The word is derived from the Latin 'to flee from chalk'. These plants are also described as ericaceous, as the prototypical calcifuge is the genus ''Erica'' (heaths). It is not ...

, found in heathy places, dry moorlands, among rocks in upland regions and on road verges on non-calcareous soils.''Hypericum pulchrum'': Slender St. John's-wort
British wild flowers. Retrieved 2011-09-14.

Distribution

''Hypericum pulchrum'' is found growing in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. It is found in suitable habitats throughout the United Kingdom. It has been introduced to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

where it has spread across the South Island and the southern part of the North Island.''Hypericum pulchrum'' L.
Flora of New Zealand. Retrieved 2011-09-14.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q159602 pulchrum Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Europe Flora of New Zealand