Family Hypericaceae
Description: Annual or perennial herbs or shrubs.
Leaves opposite or rarely in whorls of 3 or 4, simple, entire [or with glandular teeth], often marked with glandular, translucent, red or black dots or striations; stipules absent.
Inflorescence terminal or axillary, cymose or paniculate, or flowers solitary. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual and unisexual, plants polygamous and dioecious. Sepals and petals in whorls of 2–6, free. Stamens numerous, free or variously united into bundles or reduced to staminodes; anthers 2-locular, dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, generally of 3–5 carpels; loculi as many as carpels, or ovary 1-locular; styles usually free; placentation commonly parietal; ovules (5–)many.
Fruit a septicidal capsule or a fleshy drupe or berry.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 8 genera, over 700 species, worldwide; many cultivated as ornaments, some significant weeds. Australia: 3 genera, c. 21 species (mostly naturalised taxa), all States, chiefly SE Australia.
External links:
Angiosperm Phylogeny Website (Family: Hypericaceae, Order: Malpighiales)
Wikipedia Sometimes treated as part of Clusiaceae, e.g. as subfamily Hypericoideae in Fl. NSW Vol. 1: 490-491 (1990).
Text by C. Miller; revised April 2017
Taxon concept: Australian Plant Census (accessed April 2017)
| | Key to the genera | |
| 1 | Petals yellow to orange, sometimes red-tinged; stamens (5-) 10–300 (>600), in a continuous or interrupted ring or in (3-) 4–5 fascicles (fascicles free or 1 or 2 pairs united appearing as 4 or 3 fascicles); filaments distinct (apparently free) or united at base (basally connate); staminode fascicles (sterile stamen fascicles or fasciclodes) absent | Hypericum |
| Petals pink or white, often fleshy pink; stamens 9, in 3 fascicles; filaments united for 1/5–2/3 of their length (1/5–2/3 connate); staminode fascicles 3, alternating with stamen fascicles | Triadenum |
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