Buckley's St. Johnswort

Description

Hypericum buckleyi, known as Buckley's St. Johnswort, is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae that is found only in the Appalachian Mountains of the southeastern United States. Buckley's St. Johnswort is a small shrub, growing up to 45 cm (18 in) tall and spreading to form low, compact mats. It has peeling, reddish stems with thin bark. The oblong or oblanceolate leaves are sessile or subsessile, up to 25 mm (0.98 in) long and 12 mm (0.47 in) broad. Typically just one flower is produced per flowerhead, though it may have up to 5. The flowers are 20–25 mm (0.79–0.98 in) across with 5 golden yellow petals, becoming reflexed with age. The ovaries have three parts, forming narrowly ovoid to cylindric capsules. The species typically flowers in early July and it has been noted for its use as a rock garden shrub or as ground cover. Hypericum buckleyi has a limited range, known only to occur in the Appalachian Mountains, at 900–1,560 m (2,950–5,120 ft), in northeastern Georgia, northwestern South Carolina, and southwestern North Carolina. Its habitat includes wetlands such as seeps, moist crevices, and sometimes roadside ditches. Hypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae (formerly considered a subfamily of Clusiaceae). The genus has a nearly worldwide distribution, missing only from tropical lowlands, deserts and polar regions. Many Hypericum species are regarded as invasive species and noxious weeds. All members of the genus may be referred to as St. John's wort, and some are known as goatweed. The white or pink flowered marsh St. John's worts of North American and eastern Asia are generally accepted as belonging to the separate genus Triadenum.