About Hypericum edisonianum (Small) P.B.Adams & N.Robson
Arcadian St. John's wort, scientifically named Hypericum edisonianum (Small) P.B.Adams & N.Robson, is a small, thicket-forming shrub that grows up to 1.5 meters (4.9 ft) tall. Its stems are reddish-brown; young stems are marked with lines, and older stems develop peeling strip bark. The plant produces leathery, sessile, elliptic leaves that measure 15–26 millimeters (5⁄8–1 in) long and 5–11 millimeters (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) across. Leaves are paler on their underside and waxy on the upper surface. They fall off quickly, leaving behind gland-like auricles. Flowers grow in a pseudo-dichotomous arrangement. Each yellow flower has 4 sepals (2 large and 2 small), 4 bright yellow petals, and numerous stamens. The plant's capsules have 3 to 4 lobes. Hypericum edisonianum can be told apart from the similar species Hypericum crux-andreae by its smaller, thicker leaves, its pseudo-dichotomous branching, and the pair of gland-like auricles that remain on the stem after leaves fall off. In terms of distribution and habitat, Hypericum edisonianum is only found in Florida, where it is restricted to wet prairies, flatwoods, pond margins, and other low areas of the central peninsula, and it often grows on sandy soils. While it is locally abundant, it has only been recorded at 25 sites located within 5 conservation areas.
