''Hypericum prolificum'', known as shrubby St. John's wort, is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

shrub in the genus ''

Hypericum ''Hypericum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family (biology), family Hypericaceae (formerly considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae). The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar re ...

''. It was named for its "prolific" number of

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

Description

''Hypericum prolificum'' is a shrub growing up to tall with elliptic to oblanceolate leaves up to long and broad. The flowerheads have between 1 and 9 flowers, each across with 5 golden yellow petals and numerous stamens. The ovary is usually three-parted, though may have up to five parts in some individuals.

Distribution and habitat

''Hypericum prolificum'' is

native Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...

to the central and eastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. Habitats include

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...

areas, slopes, thickets, swamp edges, and

oak woodland An oak woodland is a plant community with a tree canopy dominated by oaks (''Quercus spp.''). In terms of canopy closure, oak woodlands are intermediate between oak savanna, which is more open, and oak forest, which is more closed. Although the c ...

Gallery

File:Hypericum prolificum young leaves.jpg, Young leaves emerging in early spring File:Hypericum prolificum Cook County, IL.png, In flower File:Hypericum prolificum Arkansas 2.jpg, Flower and buds close-up File:Hypericum prolificum fruit.jpg, In fruit

References

prolificum Flora of Northern America {{Hypericum-stub