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WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

30.) HYPERICACEAE - St John's-wort family

HYPERICACEAE - St John's-wort family

HYPERICUM L.

Section ASCYREIA Choisy

  • Hypericum calycinum L. (Rose-of-Sharon) / General Uncommon An established introduction, sometimes found in woods, hedgebanks and roadsides but more usually occurring close to habitation. It is a tough and vigorous plant and can even be found growing through walls; spreading vegetatively to form dense stands in which little else can grow. To quote White (1912) "it travels far and rapidly in a favourable position".

  • Hypericum forrestii (Chitt.) N. Robson (Forrest's Tutsan) General Native to China. Found at Kingsweston, Bristol in 2013 by S. Gillet.

[irecord - check!]

  • (Hypericum addingtonii × H. calycinum × H. hookerianum =) H. x hidcoteense Geerink (Hidcote Tutsan) General Very Rare Widely grown in gardens, parks and mass planting schemes; occasionally discarded or persisting after neglect. First recorded on Parry's Lane, Stoke Bishop in 1987 and at Shirehampton in 1990 by I.F. Gravestock; then N.W. of Oakford Farm, South Gloucestershire in 2009 by AWT Living Landscapes Surveyor; and most recently found at two sites in Bristol by D. Peters: on All Hallows Road, Easton in 2023 (via Google Maps Street View) and on Whitehall Road, Redfield in 2024.

[Check 2009 record - seems suspicious]

Section ANDROSAEMUM (Duhamel) Godr.

  • Hypericum androsaemum L. (Tutsan) / Woodland Uncommon As a native thinly distributed in dry limestone woods and hedgebanks where it is usually only found in small quantity but has noticeably increased in recent years as a garden escape; now well-established in urban places on and around shaded walls. The earliest local mention for Tutsan was made by L'Obel (1571) "Clymenon Italorum...Tutsan...plurima Angliae sylvis, lucis, et nemoribus praesertim Bristoiae et Gloscestriae conterminis". [Clymenon Italorum...Tutsan...most of the forests, groves, and woods of England, especially those of Bristol and the borders of Gloucester] and not long after a more specific record was given by Lyte (1578) "Androsaemon groweth by Bristow in England in S. Vincents Rockes and woody Cleves beyond the water".

  • Hypericum androsaemum x H. hircinum = H. x inodorum Mill. (Tall Tutsan) 1953 / - [most if not all our plants are Hypericum androsaemum x H. hircinum ssp. majus = H. x inodorum nothossp. elatum (Aiton) P.D. Sell] General Rare A rare introduction, sometimes planted and occasionally naturalised on walls and in shady spots by rivers; probably originating from self-seeded planted bushes though it has the potential to arise naturally wherever the two parents meet. First mentioned by White (1912) [as H. elatum] "An ornamental shrub, found rarely on unenclosed ground, as at Worle, and Max near Winscombe". It has possibly been over-recorded for H. hircinum from which it differs in having 2-ridged (not 4-ridged) stems with broader sepals which remain until the fruit ripens (instead of shriveling and falling off soon after flowering). Additionally the fruit are reddish when immature (not green).

[Check records from central Bristol. H. x inodorum and H. hircinum may have been mixed up by recorders. I've never seen the former!]

  • Hypericum hircinum L. ssp. majus (Aiton) N. Robson. (Stinking Tutsan) 1905 / General Scarce Widespread and well-established in and around walls. First mentioned by White (1912) as "Very persistent in a few congenial spots where it has been at some time planted" and surprisingly only listed as extinct in the Flora of the Bristol Region (2000) but it was probably overlooked as it is now ubiquitous in urban areas. The map does not represent it but it is certainly now the commonest Hypericum to be met with along the streets and walls of Bristol and probably other urban areas. When crushed, the leaves give off a distinctive smell. White (1912) describes it as "goaty" but it is more likened to that of Mugwort flowers - an almost cinnamon scent.

Section HYPERICUM

  • Hypericum perforatum L. (ssp. perforatum) (Perforate St John's-wort) / General Common Our most common Hypericum; frequent in dry grassland, pastures, roadside verges, derelict sites, hedgebanks and along woodland rides. Very tolerant of rabbit grazing and often thriving around their warrens. In free-draining or infertile soils plants often produce narrow leaves. This was sometimes recorded in the past as var. angustifolium but it's no longer recognised. It appears to have generally declined. Named after the translucent glands or 'perforations' which are easily seen if held up to the light.

  • Hypericum perforatum x H. maculatum (ssp. obtusiusculum) = H. x desetangsii Lamotte (nothossp. desetangsii) (Des Etangs' St John's-wort) 1982 General Rare A rare hybrid due to the scarcity of the H. maculatum parent but the sparsely scattered records suggest it is widespread and it can be found in absence of either species and is possibly overlooked. It is variably intermediate but can be identified by the presence of a few translucent glands on the leaves (observed when held up to the light), 2-4 stem-ridges (usually 2 strong and 2 weak) and denticulate sepal margins with an apiculate apex.

[There are far more records on BSBI]

  • Hypericum maculatum Crantz (Imperforate St John's-wort) /- General Scarce Widely scattered across the region in damp grassland and woodland edge. It has declined.

  • ssp. maculatum Grassland Extinct A nationally rare plant. Recorded for the first and only time locally to the north-east of the region in 1960s by ? [BSBI record]. Differs from the widespread plant in its more steeply arising branches (30° vs 50°) and entire sepals (denticulate in ssp. obtusiusculum).

  • ssp. obtusiusculum (Tourlet) Hayek (Imperforate St John's-wort) /- General Scarce Same status and distribution as the species.

  • Hypericum tetrapterum Fr. (Square-stalked St John's-wort) / Wetland Frequent Widespread and well-distributed on the banks and margins of water courses, marshes, wet grassland and damp woodland. It appears to have generally declined.

Section OLYMPIA (Spach) Endl.

  • Hypericum olympicum (var. olympicum) L. (Olympic St John's-wort) General Very Rare An introduction. Present on a patch of derelict ground by Temple Meads where it was first noticed in 2019. The site is unfortunately due to be built on.

Section OLIGOSTEMMA (Boiss.) Stef.

  • Hypericum humifusum L. (Trailing St John's-wort) General Rare Now a rare plant; sparsely scattered across the region in acidic grassland, open scrub and woodland rides. It has noticeably declined.

a single plant was encountered on Priestwood Lane near Cromhall in 2025 by O. Krylova [Nature in Avon 2024, p. 194].

Section TAENIOCARPIUM Jaub. & Spach

  • Hypericum pulchrum L. (Slender St John's-wort) / General Uncommon Scattered on acidic soils in short open rocky grassland, roadsides, dry woodland and limestone heaths. Much declined since White's day who described it as "very common" - a fate which appears to have continued since the turn of the century.

  • Hypericum hirsutum L. (Hairy St John's-wort) / General Frequent A widespread species of grassy places, open woodland and hedgebanks; predominantly on calcareous soils.

Section ADENOSEPALUM Spach

  • Hypericum montanum L. (Pale St John's-wort) / General Scarce Restricted to limestone in open rocky ground, old quarries and open woods. It has declined in the south-west of our region. E. Drabble in B.E.C., 1932 (p. 431) [Riddelsdell, 1948] attributes plants on St. Vincent's Rocks to the var. scabrum - with leaves scabrous underneath but it is no longer recognised.

[2009 record is certainly an error - delete]

Section ELODES (Adans.) W.D.J. Koch

  • Hypericum elodes L. (Marsh St John's-wort) Wetland Extinct Formerly occurred in very small quantity in a small bog on Rodway Hill - discovered in 1892 and last seen in 1993. The site has since become scrubbed over though it is possible that should the site be restored it may be brought back due to the long seed-bank Hypericum's posses.

[2009 record needs checking]

List:

  • Hypericum calycinum L. (Rose-of-Sharon) / General
  • Hypericum forrestii (Chitt.) N. Robson (Forrest's Tutsan) General
  • (Hypericum addingtonii × H. calycinum × H. hookerianum = - Kew) H. x hidcoteense Geerink (Hidcote Tutsan) General
  • Hypericum androsaemum L. (Tutsan) / Woodland
  • Hypericum androsaemum x H. hircinum = (Stace, NBN) H. x inodorum Mill. (Tall Tutsan) 1953 / - most if not all our plants are Hypericum androsaemum x H. hircinum ssp. majus = H. x inodorum nothossp. elatum (Aiton) P.D. Sell (Stace) General
  • Hypericum hircinum L. (ssp. majus (Aiton) N. Robson. - Stace, NBN, Kew) (Stinking Tutsan) 1905 / General
  • Hypericum perforatum L. (ssp. perforatum - Kew, GBIF) (Perforate St John's-wort) / General
  • Hypericum perforatum x H. maculatum = H. x desetangsii Lamotte (Stace, NBN) (our H. maculatum is with ssp. obtusiusculum giving it the name) Hypericum perforatum x H. maculatum ssp. obtusiusculum = H. x desetangsii nothossp. desetangsii or Hypericum x desetangsii nothossp. desetangsii (Stace, NBN) (Des Etangs' St Johns-wort) 1982 General
  • Hypericum maculatum Crantz ssp. obtusiusculum (Tourlet) Hayek (Imperforate St John's-wort) /- General
  • Hypericum tetrapterum Fr. (Square-stalked St John's-wort) / Wetland
  • Hypericum olympicum (var. olympicum - Kew, GBIF) L. (Olympic St John's-wort) General
  • Hypericum humifusum L. (Trailing St John's-wort) General
  • Hypericum pulchrum L. (Slender St John's-wort) / General
  • Hypericum hirsutum L. (Hairy St John's-wort) / General
  • Hypericum montanum L. (Pale St John's-wort) / General
  • Hypericum elodes L. (Marsh St John's-wort) Wetland

Species to add:

  • Hypericum forrestii (Chitt.) N. Robson (Forrest's Tutsan)
  • (Hypericum addingtonii × H. calycinum × H. hookerianum = - Kew) H. x hidcoteense Geerink (Hidcote Tutsan)
  • Hypericum maculatum Crantz ssp. maculatum (Imperforate St John's-wort) - 1 BSBI record
  • Hypericum olympicum (var. olympicum - Kew, GBIF) L. (Olympic St John's-wort)

Could occur:

  • Hypericum xylosteifolium (Spach) N. Robson (Turkish Tutsan)