Hypericum grandifolium

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Hypericum grandifolium
Hypericum grandifolium20080608.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Hypericum
Section: Hypericum sect. Androsaemum
Species:
H. grandifolium
Binomial name
Hypericum grandifolium

Hypericum grandifolium, the large-leaved St John's wort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. The plant is a bushy shrub that can grow to almost 2 meters tall. It has large leaves, golden yellow petals, and seed capsules that split open. H. grandifolium is native to the Canary Islands and Madeira in Macaronesia, but has become invasive in other regions, including California, after escaping from cultivation as an ornamental plant. It is parasitized by wasps and fungi, and is capable of reproducing through its rhizomes.

Contents

First described in 1821 by Jacques Choisy, the ambiguity of its original description meant that the species was often misidentified. Specimens were variously called H. elatum, H. anglicum, Androsaemum webbianum, and others. The species was placed into section Androsaemum of Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1984, and it is most closely related in appearance and classification to the other species in the section, especially H. androsaemum , H. hircinum , and H. × inodorum . The species is not used in modern medical applications, but may have anticancer potential and could be used to treat ear edemas.

Etymology

The genus name Hypericum is possibly derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture), in reference to the tradition of hanging the plant over religious icons in the home. [1] The specific epithet grandifolium is made of the Latin words grandis (large, full) and folium (leaf). [2] As such, it is called the large-leaved St John's wort in English. [3] Hypericum grandifolium is known as malfurada, [note 1] [4] malfurada grande, and corazoncillo in Spanish, the language used where it is native. [5] [6] The name corazoncillo is a diminutive form of the Spanish word for heart, corazon. [7] [8]

Description

Bushy form of the plant Hypericum grandifolium.jpg
Bushy form of the plant

Hypericum grandifolium is a bushy shrub that grows 50–180 centimeters tall. Its branches generally grow upright or almost upright. [9] Across its distribution, different populations look almost identical and the species has minimal geographic variation in appearance. [10]

Vegetative structures

Bark, stems, and leaves Hypericum grandifolium (Jardin Botanico Canario Viera y Clavijo).jpg
Bark, stems, and leaves

When the plant is young, the stems are somewhat flattened and have four lines that run longitudinally up their length. When it matures, they become more cylindrical and have only two lines. There are nodes with leaves every 0.2–0.4 cm along the stem. The bark on the outside of the stem is scaly. [9]

The leaf blades are directly connected to the stem, and sometimes partially wrap around it. The blade is roughly 4–9 cm long by 2.5–4.5 cm wide and is a triangular-oval or oblong-oval shape. The end is blunt or rounded, and the base is flat or rounded. It is the same color on top and bottom and has a papery texture. There are four or five pairs of large lateral veins, and the leaf's network of tiny tertiary veins is visible on the top side. The leaf's glands are small, but they are found densely along its edges. [9]

Flowering structures

Dried and splitting fruit Hypericum grandifolium fruits gomera t kvitvik DSCN5075.JPG
Dried and splitting fruit

Each cluster of flowers has anywhere from 1–13 individual flowers. They come from two nodes on the stem that are separated by the same distance as the leaves are from each other. The flower cluster is shaped like a wide pyramid or closer to a corymb, with the stems spreading out broadly. Sometimes there will be accessory flowers lower on the branches that carry the main clusters. Each flower is carried by a pedicel that is 0.5–1.1 cm long. The leaf-like bracts may be the same size as other leaves, or could be smaller. They are elongated and may taper to a point. [11]

Each flower is 3–4.5 cm wide. Before blossoming, the buds are an imperfect globe shape with an end that is blunt or rounded. The sepals overlap one another and vary in size. They become larger during flowering and persist while the plant is fruiting. There are glands on the sepals in linear patterns and individual points; the glands are denser along the edges. The petals are golden yellow, measuring 1.8–2.2 cm long and 0.6–0.8 cm wide. The stamens are grouped together in bundles of around 30–40, with the longest in the bundle being around 1.5–2.0 cm long. The styles grow upright and are slender, with a narrow stigma that ends in a distinct head. The seed capsule is 0.8–1.3 cm long with a leathery texture and a pointed end. After the plant fruits, the seed capsule entirely splits. The seeds inside are yellow-brown and around 0.12 cm long, with a wing-like growth on one side and none on the ends. [11]

Similar species

Hypericum grandifolium differs from both H. androsaemum and H. hircinum by its bigger overall size and larger leaves. It also differs from H. androsaemum by having dry fruit (as opposed to a soft and fleshy berry), and from H. hircinum by having sepals that do not fall off. [12] It has at times been confused with Hypericum × inodorum by some botanists, [10] which is an intermediate form of H. androsaemum and H. hircinum. [13]

Chemistry

Hypericum grandifolium produces several secondary metabolites in detectable quantities. Hyperoside and quercitrin are found in major concentrations; chlorogenic acid, isoquercitrin, and quercetin are present in smaller concentrations. [14] The species also has a diverse essential oil profile. Nonane and various caryophyllenes are by far the most prolific oils, [15] but there is a wide array of compounds in more minute concentrations. These are mostly alkanes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. [16]

Taxonomy

Hypericum grandifolium was first formally described by Jacques Denys Choisy in 1821. [17] He collected the species' type specimen on the island of Tenerife. [9] This description was one of the first that dealt with Macaronesian flora spanning multiple island groups. [18] In it, Choisy gave H. grandifolium the following brief identifying description: [19] [note 2]

Hypericum caule tereti, foliis magnis amplexicaulibus, calyce in pedunculum reflexo, corolla sublineari. Caulis fruticosus, erectus, rubricans, teres, ramosus; rami obliqui.
Hypericum with a cylindrical stem, large embracing leaves, calyx bent back on the peduncle, and sublinear corolla. The stem is shrubby, erect, reddening, cylindrical, and branching; the branches are oblique.
"Androsaemum‑group"

sect. Arthrophyllum

sect. Triadenioides

sect. Webbia

H. canariense

sect. Bupleuroides

H. bupleuroides

sect. Androsaemum

H. androsaemum

H. hircinum

H. foliosum

H. grandifolium

Cladogram showing the phylogeny and relationships of H. grandifolium within the "Androsaemum-group" based on Meseguer et al. 2013 [20]

Confusion around the identity and properties of Hypericum grandifolium was present throughout the 19th century. Cultivated specimens in Britain were variously called H. elatum (today H. × inodorum ), H. anglicum, and Androsaemum webbianum. [21] Choisy's original description was somewhat ambiguous, and could apply to H. × inodorum as well. [22] As such, H. grandifolium was at times considered a synonym of that species. [23] The last name arose because the species was sometimes placed into the defunct genus Androsaemum. This placement was refuted by William Hooker in 1844, who synonymized the name A. webbianum with H. grandifolium. His reasoning was that the species did not share certain characteristics with the rest of the genus Androsaemum as it was at that time (such as their berry-like fruit). [24] The species was included in Norman Robson's monograph of the genus Hypericum in 1984, and he placed it into the newly arranged section Adenosepalum and allied it most closely with H. foliosum. [9] A 2013 study used Bayesian inference to establish the phylogeny and close relations of Hypericum species. Section Androsaemum, including Hypericum grandifolium, was placed into an Old World taxon called the "Androsaemum-group" with several other sections. The study also determined that H. grandifolium was most closely related to Hypericum hircinum and Hypericum foliosum. [20]

Distribution, habitat, and ecology

The native distribution of Hypericum grandifolium are the Spanish Canary Islands and the Portuguese island of Madeira. The species is also a garden plant, and has become invasive after escaping from cultivation in non-native areas. For example, it is invasive and spreading in the San Francisco Bay Area, forming dense stands that force out native plants. [3] It was first recorded in California in 2010, and is suspected to be harmful to the native ecology by the California Invasive Plant Council. [5] H. grandifolium has become naturalized in parts of Australia and in Chile, [3] but is listed as a weed in other parts of Australia like South Australia and Victoria. [5]

The species can be found at elevations of 200–1,500 meters on the Canary Islands and 400–500 on Madeira. Its habitat is among evergreen forests like those of Laurus trees. It is also present on stony hillsides and cliffsides. [11] In areas that have been deforested by wildfire, Hypericum grandifolium is a colonizing species that grows in the years following the disturbance. [25] It often grows alongside the shrub Ageratina adenophora in California, where both species are invasive. [5]

Hypericum grandifolium is a host to several parasites. These include the wasp Euderomphale gomer , the rust fungus Melampsora hypericorum , [26] and rarely the honey fungus Armillaria . [27] H. grandifolium is capable of reproducing through its rhizomes, and can also form thickets from its rootstock. [3] It is possible to propagate H. grandifolium form either softwood or semi-ripe cuttings. [27]

Research

The methanol-water extracts of Hypericum grandifolium exhibit moderate in vitro anticancer potential against human tumor cells that was demonstrated in laboratory testing, and among Hypericum species native to the Canary Islands H. grandifolium is the most effective in this regard. The plant's extracts were particularly effective at inducing cell death of HeLa cervical cancer. [28] [29] When compared to Hypericum canariense and Hypericum reflexum , the species showed the least amount of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. It had no impact on gram-negative bacteria and only minimal impact on gram-positive bacteria. [30] However, its essential oil extracts have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing ear and paw edemas. [31] A review of the medicinal properties of various Hypericum species in 2015 stated that the species was one of several that was effective against drug-resistant bacteria, especially Enterococcus faecalis . [32] In laboratory mice, the plant induced antidepressant-like effects, likely a result of its flavonoids and benzophenones, [33] [34] and has also demonstrated properties that restrict nociception, which could reduce pain. [35]

Notes

  1. ↑ Also spelled malforada, milfurada, malforado, or maljurada
  2. ↑ Translation by GPT-3.5

Related Research Articles

<i>Hypericum perforatum</i> Flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum perforatum, commonly known as St John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a perennial plant that grows up to one meter tall, with many yellow flowers that have clearly visible black glands around their edges, long stamens, and three pistils. Probably a hybrid between the closely related H. attenuatum and H. maculatum that originated in Siberia, the species is now found worldwide. It is native to temperate regions across Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of North and South America. In many areas where it is not native, H. perforatum is considered a noxious weed. It densely covers open areas to the exclusion of native plants, and is poor grazing material. As such, methods for biocontrol have been introduced in an attempt to slow or reverse the spread of the species.

<i>Hypericum</i> Genus of flowering plants known as St. Johns worts

Hypericum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. 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 America and eastern Asia are generally accepted as belonging to the separate genus TriadenumRaf.

<i>Hypericum canariense</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum canariense is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae known by the common name Canary Islands St. John's wort. It is the sole member of Hypericumsect. Webbia.

<i>Hypericum androsaemum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum androsaemum, the shrubby St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. Commonly called tutsan or sweet-amber, the species is cultivated as an ornamental plant because of its striking red-tinted foliage, bright yellow petals, and its large clusters of fruit. Cultivars like 'Albury Purple' and 'Golden Tutsan' which have leaves with more pronounced purple and golden coloring, respectively.

<i>Hypericum balearicum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum balearicum is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, native to Spain's Balearic Islands. It is the only species in the section Psorophytum.

Hypericum acmosepalum is a dwarf shrub in Hypericumsect. Ascyreia that is native to China and known as jian e jin si tao locally.

<i>Hypericum aegypticum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum aegypticum is a species of flowering plant of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae) which is native to the Eastern Mediterranean. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in the second volume of his Species Plantarum in 1753, who named it after Egypt despite it not being distributed there. The plant is commonly known as shrubby St. John's wort or Egyptian St. John's wort in English. Like other members of section Adenotrias, it is found among limestone rocks in coastal areas. While it has been evaluated as threatened on the island of Malta, the species has no legal protections.

<i>Hypericum bupleuroides</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum bupleuroides is a species of perennial flowering plant in the St John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It grows 45–80 centimeters tall, and notably has perfoliate leaves that are fused at the stem. It has pyramid-shaped flower clusters of 1 to 25 flowers with yellow petals in a star-shaped arrangement. The species is found along the Black Sea coast near the Turkish–Georgian border. Hypericum bupleuroides has a small distribution and specific habitat requirements that make it vulnerable to environmental pressures.

<i>Hypericum hircinum</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum hircinum is a species of perennial flowering plant in the St John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is known as goat St John's wort and stinking tutsan; both names refer to the plant's distinctive odor. The species is a bushy shrub that can grow up to 1.5 meters tall, is many-stemmed, and has golden yellow flowers with conspicuous stamens. The plant has been well-documented in botanical literature, with mentions dating back to at least 1627. Carl Linnaeus described H. hircinum several times, including in his 1753 Species Plantarum which established its binomial. At one point the plant was placed into the defunct genus Androsaemum, but it was returned to Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1985.

<i>Hypericum kalmianum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum kalmianum, commonly called Kalm's St. Johns wort or Kalm's St. Johnswort, is a flowering plant in the St. John's wort family Hypericaceae. It is native to the Great Lakes region in the northern United States and southern Canada. Hypericum kalmianum was named after its discoverer, Swedish botanist Pehr Kalm (1715-1779).

<i>Salix pedicellata</i> Species of plant

Salix pedicellata is a species of willow. It is a shrub or small tree to about 6–8 m tall, native around the Mediterranean Sea from Portugal to Lebanon and Syria in the north and from the Canary Islands to Tunisia in the south. Salix canariensis may be treated as a subspecies of S. pedicellata.

<i>Hypericum <span style="font-style:normal;">sect.</span> Androsaemum</i> Group of flowering plants

Androsaemum, commonly called tutsan, is a section of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. Originally considered its own independent genus, it was later placed under Hypericum as a section of related species. Today, it consists of Hypericum androsaemum, H. foliosum, H. grandifolium, and H. hircinum, as well as the hybrid H. × inodorum. It is also the namesake of an "Androsaemum-group" of related taxa that includes several other sections of Old World species.

<i>Hypericum foliosum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum foliosum, the shining St John's wort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a bushy shrub endemic to the Portuguese Azores Islands with golden yellow petals and many stems. The species was described by William Aiton in 1789 and was later placed into section Androsaemum of the genus Hypericum by Norman Robson in 1984. It has a diverse essential oil profile made up mostly of monoterpene hydrocarbons, and significant concentrations of various medicinally useful phenols and carotenoids. Populations of the plant are small in number, but quick to colonize cleared areas like groves, landslide areas, and volcanic ash deposits. It is parasitized by fungus and by moth species, but is not considered endangered by the IUCN. H. foliosum is used in traditional medicine on the Azores for diuretic, hepatoprotective, and antihypertensive purposes. It also has in vitro antibiotic and antioxidizing capabilities.

<i>Hypericum punctatum</i> Species of flowering plant

Hypericum punctatum, the spotted St. John's wort, is a perennial herb native to North America. The yellow-flowered herb occurs throughout eastern North America into southern Canada. The process of microsporogenesis carried out by this plant is prone to errors in chromosomal segregation. It has a diploid number of 14 or 16. Insects are attracted to the plant's pollen and the hypericin in the plant's leaves is toxic to mammals.

<i>Hypericum undulatum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum undulatum, the wavy St Johns Wort, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to western Europe and northern Africa. The specific name undulatum is Latin, meaning "wavy" or "undulated", referring, just as the common name, to the wavy leaf margins of the herb. The plant has a diploid number of 16 or 32.

<i>Hypericum suffruticosum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum suffruticosum, known as pineland St. John's-wort, is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family, Hypericaceae. It is native to the Southeastern United States.

<i>Hypericum patulum</i> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum patulum, known as goldencup St. John's wort or yellow mosqueta, is a species of flowering plant in Hypericumsect. Ascyreia.

<i>Hypericum <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> inodorum</i> Nothospecies of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Hypericum × inodorum, commonly called tall tutsan or the tall St John's wort, is a fertile hybrid of Hypericum androsaemum and Hypericum hircinum. The nothospecies is a member of the family Hypericaceae and is native to France, Italy, and Spain. It has been known since 1789, but confusion around its name, identity, and origin persisted throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. It is a bushy perennial shrub possessing clusters of many golden yellow flowers with long stamens and red fruit that gradually changes color. It is frequently cultivated for garden display, with numerous cultivars sold for their various unique characteristics. The most noted variety is 'Golden Beacon', which has gold-tinted foliage and greater disease resistance, while the 'Elstead' variety has won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit for its "brilliant" berries that change from white to a pinkish-red as the plant matures.

<i>Hypericum elodeoides</i> Species of flowering plant of the St. Johns wort family

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References

  1. ↑ Coombes 2012, p. 172.
  2. ↑ Lewis, Charlton; Short, Charles (1879). "A Latin Dictionary". Perseus Tufts. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hypericum grandifolium Profile". California Invasive Plant Council. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  4. ↑ Lowe 1868, p. 75.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Wrubel, Eric (2018). "Early Detection News". National Park Service. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Biota - Hypericum grandifolium Choisy". Banco de Datos de Biodiversidad de Canarias (Canary Islands Biodiversity Data Bank) (in Spanish). Gobierno de Canarias (Government of the Canary Islands). Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  7. ↑ Macdonald, George Robert (1918). Spanish-English and English-Spanish Commercial Dictionary of the Words and Terms Used in Commercial Correspondence Which are Not Given in the Dictionaries in Ordinary Use; Compound Phrases, Idiomatic and Technical Expressions, etc. London: Pitman. p. 71. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "corazoncillo". Diccionario de la lengua española (Dictionary of the Spanish Language) (in Spanish). Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy). Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Robson 1984, p. 298.
  10. 1 2 Robson 1984, p. 300.
  11. 1 2 3 Robson 1984, p. 299.
  12. ↑ "Hypericum grandifoliumChoisy". Bean's Trees and Shrubs Online. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  13. ↑ Robson 1968, p. 263.
  14. ↑ Zorzetto et al. 2015, p. 99.
  15. ↑ Zorzetto et al. 2015, p. 100.
  16. ↑ Zorzetto et al. 2015, p. 102.
  17. ↑ "Hypericum grandifoliumChoisy". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  18. ↑ Hooker 1857, p. 378.
  19. ↑ Choisy 1821, p. 38.
  20. 1 2 Meseguer, Aldasoro & Sanmartín 2013, p. 386.
  21. ↑ Walker-Arnott 1860, p. 364.
  22. ↑ Walker-Arnott 1860, p. 365.
  23. ↑ Rehder 1949, p. 464.
  24. ↑ Hooker 1844, p. 588.
  25. ↑ Arevalo, Peraza & Alvarez 2008, p. 6.
  26. ↑ "Hypericum grandifoliumChoisy". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  27. 1 2 "Hypericum grandifolium". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2024-01-14.
  28. ↑ Lacret et al. 2022, p. 6101.
  29. ↑ Kladar et al. 2015, p. 67.
  30. ↑ Zorzetto et al. 2015, p. 105.
  31. ↑ Bonkanka et al. 2008, p. 719.
  32. ↑ Kladar et al. 2015, p. 63.
  33. ↑ Sanchez-Mateo, Bonkanka & Rabanal 2009, p. 297.
  34. ↑ Prado, Rabanal & Sanchez-Mateo 2002, p. 743.
  35. ↑ Bonkanka, Sanchez-Mateo & Rabanal 2011, p. 122.

Bibliography

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