Botanical Family · Malpighiales

Hypericaceae

Hypericum Family

3 speciesOrder Malpighiales2+ well-known plants

The Hypericaceae family (Hypericum Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Malpighiales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 3 species. Its members are predominantly shrubs. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include Japanese St. Johns wort and Mysore St. John's Wort.

Browse all 3 species ↓

Representative specimen · Hypericaceae

Key pattern

Opposite leaves dotted with translucent or black glandular spots, visible when held to the light; bright yellow, five-petalled flowers carry numerous stamens fused at the base into several distinct bundles, ripening into a capsule.

The translucent leaf-gland dots and the photosensitising, mildly toxic compound hypericin they contain underpin St. John's wort's long history in traditional and modern herbal medicine.

Identify the species

Which Hypericaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Hypericaceae species.

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HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Herb

Shrub

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Hypericaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method