Contractions. - Hyper. Hyp.

Hypericum perforatum. Nat. ord., Hypericaceae.

Synonyms. - H. perfoliatum, Fuga daemonum, Herba umbelicalis.

Fig. - Engl Bot., t. 295.

St. John's Wort. For. names: German, Johanniskraut, Hexenkraut; French, Herbe St. Jean.

Habitat. - In woods, hedges, and thickets throughout Europe, and in Central and Russian Asia. Abundant in Britain.

Flowering time. - Summer and autumn.

Parts employed. - The entire fresh plant.

Characters. - Root-stock perennial, with short runners. Stem erect, 1 to 1 1/2 foot high, branching in upper part, cylindrical, or with two slightly prominent opposite angles, quite glabrous. Leaves sessile, oblong, marked with pellucid dots, and occasionally a few black ones on the under side. Flowers bright yellow, in a handsome terminal corymb; sepals lanceolate, pointed, quite entire, with a few glandular lines or dots; petals twice as long, marked with black dots; stamens numerous, shortly united into 3 bundles; styles, 3.

Time for collecting. - When in flower and seed.

Preparation. - Tincture, corresponding in alcoholic strength with proof spirit.

Reference to Horn. Proving. - Hyg., vi.

Proper forms for dispensing. - φ and lx, Tincture only. 1 and upwards, Tincture, Pilules, or Globules.

Average loss of moisture, 56 per cent.