Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs or sometimes shrubs.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Surfaces often glandular punctate, the glands translucent or yellowish (containing essential oils), or black or red (containing hypericin). Margins entire. Sessile. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in terminal cymes, sometimes also axillary, rarely solitary. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx of (4)5 sepals; sepals equal or unequal. Corolla of (4)5 petals; petals usually yellow or orange. Stamens 5 to numerous, in 3–5 clusters, these sometimes indistinct and the Stamens appearing distinct. Ovary superior, 2–5-carpellate, with as many cells and axile placentation or 1-celled or partially divided by the intrusion of parietal placentas; ovules numerous; styles 1–5, distinct or connate, often separating with age, persistent in fruit.

Fruit: Fruit a globose; ovoid; or conical; septicidal capsules. Seeds numerous; elongate; reticulate or papillose; often with an elongate wing.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: