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The Escambia region is proud to host a wide range of St. John's Wort family members. This family characteristics is a classic example of how and why each plant bears a different name when only the slightest change in form and content takes place; none of which is noticed except by bona-fide researchers. The Latin, stans, means simply "shaped like a trowel," referring to the petals and the wide green sepals (modified leaves) between the petals. To understand this arrangement, attention is directed to the flower itself. A total of eight parts are needed to make up the flower; four gold petals, two broad green sepals and two narrow green sepals. Now, go to St. Andrew's Cross below and you'll see that it needs only six parts to the flower; four gold petals and the two broad green sepals. |
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(A. hypericoides)  |
This minor difference caused a name change and it became known as St. Andrew's Cross, the symbol used for Alabama's state flag. Aside from that difference St. Peter's Wort and St. Andrew's Cross are identical. To the untrained eye one might assume to be looking at the same plant...check it out! Spotted St. John's Wort is also of mixed character. The leaf has become longer and more slender still. Its flower has five gold petals but no visible green sepals (out of sight behind the golden petals). |
| Spotted St. John's Wort (AKA Dotted St. John's Wort) resides primarily in damp woods along swamp margins and is rarely seen at roadside unless the swampy area is part of the roadway scenery. The name for Spotted St. John's Wort is due to a series of tiny spots along the leaf margins. The spots are transparent, but appear to be holes in the leaf. |
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(Hypericum galioides)  |
(H. myrtifolium)  |
| Myrtle-Leaf St. John's Wort is known as Gold Threads in the western part of the country (California, Washington and Oregon), and in the Escambia region it is sometimes confused with a similar shrub called Toothed St. John's Wort, H. denticulatum. A notable characteristic which will definitely identify this plant is to crush the leaf. If it smells of the faintest odor of camphor, it's Myrtle-Leaf St. John's Wort. This is the largest flower of the St. John's Wort family residing in the Escambia Coastal Plain. Chances are very good that it will be recognized because of the blossom size; measuring up to 1.5 inches across with the hair-like filaments creating an acacia-like flower ball. |
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(Hypericum brachphyllum)  |
(H. cistifolium)  |
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Common St. John's Wort is the most widespread and prolific of the Escambia Hypericum family. Generally this is the easily recognized, aside from the large-flowered Myrtle-Leaf. Common is an erect small shrub with multi-branches giving it a bushy appearance. It's stem bark peels off in thin strips. Leaves are almost needle-like and fairly small. Flowers are bright yellow, numbering five petals, and rotate like a cartwheel Small-Leaf St. John's Wort is often confused with a related plant called Nude St. John's Wort. The two plants are so alike one is often confused with the other. It's a small shrub on a single stem, a few erect branches at the top bearing an abundance of bright yellow flowers. There are very few leaves on the flowering branches thus making it appear to have no leaves at all. The stem leaves are arranged at right angles to each other in such a way as to appear like a cross when looking down on the plant. |
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(H. suffruticosum)  |
Note that all the characteristics of St. Peter's Wort are evident here; four gold petals, two broad green sepals and two narrow green sepals. The difference is that Low St. Peter's Wort is a miniature reaching a height of no more than eight inches; a single stem and a single flower perched at the very tip of that stem. This miniature version is quick to form carpets of plants that cover several yards in circumference. It prefers sandy soils of pine woods as opposed to swampy conditions as does its taller relatives. |
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(H. gentianoides)  |
(H. chapmanii)  |
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The Latin adjective, gentianoides, implies that this member of St. John's Wort is loosely related to the Gentian family, but there is no relation aside from the pine scent evident when the leaf or plant is crushed. We know this plant by several names; Orange Grass, Pineweed, Nits-and-Lice, or Pine Grass. Much caution is taken by forestry people when a large colony is located in pine woods as it can become extremely hazardous during forest fires. Its flamable juices explode in fire and it aids and abets the fire to jump a fire break. This is particularly risky when the colony covers an old abandoned road or trail. At full throttle in flower Dense St. John's Wort is a spectacular sight. It prefers swampy conditions but occasionally one is seen at roadside; a real traffic stopper. Unfortunately not all residence of the Escambia region get to see this wondrous event as the plant prefers brackish conditions -- the key word here is seashore. |