Hypericum orientale

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Hypericum orientale
Hypericum orientale, RBGE 2010, 2.jpg
Hypericum orientale at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Hypericaceae
Genus: Hypericum
Section: H. sect. Crossophyllum
Species:
H. orientale
Binomial name
Hypericum orientale
L.

Hypericum orientale, the Ptarmic-leafed St. John's wort [1] or Eastern St. John's wort [2] , is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is distributed across northern Turkey, Georgia, the Caucasus, and Dagestan. [3] The species can be found on stony sloped amidst volcanic rocks in the mountains and in light woodlands at elevations of up to 2,300 m (7,500 ft). [4] It flowers from May to June and July to August. The plant has small, bright yellow flowers and grows across the ground in a creeping pattern. It prefers full sun and is ideal for rock gardens, and is hardy down to -30° F. [1]

Contents

Description

A single inflorescence Hypericum orientale kz03.jpg
A single inflorescence

Hypericum orientale is a small perennial herb that is 7–45 cm (2.8 in – 1 ft 5.7 in) tall. It grows both along the ground and upright, and is sometimes rooting at its base. There are many stems that spread and branch from a taproot, but that don't continue to branch out closer to the inflorescence. The stems are 2-lined and either lack glands or have a few reddish glands which are scattered or in lines. [3]

The leaves are directly connected to the stem and are angled slightly upwards. The leaf blade is 1–4 cm (0.39–1.57 in) long by 0.2–1 cm (0.079–0.39 in) wide, and their shape is between a narrow oval and an oval lance. They are the same color as the rest of the plant, and have a papery texture and rounded point. The edges of the blade have shallow glands and a denticulate (finely toothed) texture, while the base is wedge-shaped with pairs of auricles. The glands on the leaf are pale and point-shaped, and those on the edges are on the denticuli (fine teeth). [3]

Each inflorescence has around three flowers from one to three nodes. There are often additional flowering branches from a further one to three nodes below the inflorescence. The whole structure can be shaped between an inverse pyramid and a cylinder. The bracts are similar in shape to the regular leaves but are fringed with glands. Each flower is around 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter; their buds are ellipse-shaped and round on the end. The sepals are of varying lengths and barely overlap, measuring 0.4–0.7 cm (0.16–0.28 in) long by 0.2–0.5 cm (0.079–0.20 in) wide. The petals are bright yellow, without any red tinge. They measure 1–1.8 cm (0.39–0.71 in) long by 0.2–0.4 cm (0.079–0.16 in) wide, and there are around 2.5 times as many petals as there are sepals. there are between thirty and forty-five stamens, the longest of which are 0.7–1.3 cm (0.28–0.51 in) long. They have an amber colored anther gland on the end. The ovaries are narrowly oval-shaped; there are around twice as many styles as there are ovaries. The seed capsule is 0.8–1.1 cm (0.31–0.43 in) long and 0.3–0.5 cm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with many grooves. The seeds are a mid brown color; they are 0.1–0.15 cm (0.039–0.059 in) long. [3]

Phytochemistry

Compared to other more studied Hypericum species, H. orientale is not particularly dense in notable chemical constituents. It entirely lacks hypericin, and has only trace amounts of pseudohypericin and rutin. Hyperoside is the largest constituent, and chlorogenic acid and quercitrin are also present in meaningful amounts. [5]

Taxonomy

Hypericum orientale is a species in the small section Hypericum sect. Crossophyllum. The genus name Hypericum derives from the Greek words hyper, meaning above, and eikon, meaning picture. This refers to the practice of hanging the flower "above pictures" to ward off evil spirits. [6] The specific epithet orientale refers to the species' distribution in "the East" or from "the Orient". [7] The placement of the species within Hypericum can be summarized as follows: [8]

Full plant in stony habitat Hypericum orientale, RBGE 2010.jpg
Full plant in stony habitat

Hypericum

Hypericum subg. Hypericum
Hypericum sect. Crossophyllum
H. adenotrichum
H. aucheri
H. orientale
H. thasium

History

Illustration of H. orientale from a 1717 travelogue Hypericum Orientale, Ptarmicae foliis Coroll Rei herb 18 - Tournefort Joseph Pitton De - 1717.jpg
Illustration of H. orientale from a 1717 travelogue

While Hypericum orientale was known before the modern system of taxonomy was established, it was first formally described by Carolus Linnaeus in the second volume of Species Plantarum in 1753. Linnaeus gave the following brief description for the plant: [9]

Hypericum floribus trigynis, stipulis reflexis ovatis crenatis. Ptarmicae follis. Habitat in Oriente.
Hypericum with three-flowered inflorescence, oval-shaped crenate reflexed stalks. Ptarmic leaves. Habitat in the East.

In 1836 and 1842, Hippolyte Jaubert and Édouard Spach described three species that overlapped with the range of Hypericum orientale. H. tournefortii was found in Turkey and western Georgia, H. ptarmicaefolium throughout the range, and H. jaubertii at higher altitudes and poorer habitats. Each plant had slightly different growth patterns and leaf shapes, which Jaubert and Spach used to justify their status as species. [10] However, in Norman Robson's 2010 volume of his monograph on the genus Hypericum, it was demonstrated that all three descriptions could develop from offspring of a single plant put under different conditions. As such, H. tournefortii was demoted to H. orientale var. teberdinum and H. ptarmicaefolium was demoted to H. orientale var. adzharicum. [3]

Synonyms

The following are specific-level synonyms listed by Plants of the World Online: [11]

NameAuthorYearJournal
TitleVol.Page
Hypericum adsharicum(Woron.) A.P.Kholkhoyakov1991Byull. Moskovsk. Obshch. Isp. Prir.96108
Hypericum buschianum(Woronow) Grossh.1932Fl. Kavkaza366
Hypericum decussatumKunze1848 Index Seminum (LZ, Lipsiensis)2
Hypericum jaubertiiSpach1842Ill. Pl. Orient.138
Hypericum ptarmicaefoliumSpach1836 Histoire naturelle des végétaux 5404
Hypericum tournefortiiSpach1836Histoire naturelle des végétaux5404

Uses

Parts of Hypericum orientale are edible, and it has been recorded as being used in folk medicine. In Turkey, a decoction of the plant has been used to treat hemorrhoids, [12] and it has also been used as a sedative. [13]

Related Research Articles

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypericaceae</span> Family of flowering plants (St. Johns wort family)

Hypericaceae is a plant family in the order Malpighiales, comprising six to nine genera and up to 700 species, and commonly known as the St. John's wort family. Members are found throughout the world apart from extremely cold or dry habitats. Hypericum and Triadenum occur in temperate regions but other genera are mostly tropical.

<i>Triadenum</i> Genus of plants

Triadenum, known as marsh St. John's worts, is a small genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. The genus is characterized by opposite, blunt-tipped leaves and pink flowers with 9 stamens. They are distributed in North America and eastern Asia.

<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 clusters of fruit which are large compared to other members of Hypericum. As such, various cultivars of the species have been bred which amplify its desirable characteristics. These include cultivars like 'Albury Purple' and 'Golden Tutsan' which have leaves with more pronounced purple and golden coloring, respectively. The plant is native to Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, but has been introduced elsewhere in temperate areas with high rainfall, including Australia and New Zealand where it is considered a noxious weed.

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

Hypericum mutilum is a species of St. John's wort known by the common name dwarf St. John's wort. It is native to parts of North America and is present in other parts as an introduced species. It is an annual or perennial herb taking a multibranched erect form up to about 60 centimeters tall. The oval green leaves are one or two centimeters long and are covered in tiny glands. The inflorescence is a compound cyme of tiny flowers. H. mutilum subsp. mutilum and subsp. boreale have a diploid number of 16, and H. mutilum subsp. boreale can have a diploid number of 18.

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

Hypericum olympicum, commonly known as the Mount Olympus St. John's wort, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae found in the Balkans and Turkey and introduced to western Europe. It has been widely cultivated for centuries because of its large, showy flowers, which are far larger than those of most other species in Hypericum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypericum fraseri</span> Species of flowering plant in the St Johns wort family Hypericaceae

Triadenum fraseri, commonly known as bog St. John's wort, Fraser's St. John's wort, and Fraser's marsh St. John's wort, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae that grows in wetlands of Canada and the northern United States. It is named after John Fraser (1750–1811), a Scottish botanist and widely travelled plant collector.

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

Hypericum annulatum is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is a perennial herb of varying heights which grows upright, with more than a hundred flowers of a golden yellow color. First described in 1827, the species has a wide distribution from Eastern Europe to East Africa, and its appearance can vary greatly based on its geographic location. It has been used in Bulgarian folk medicine, and has more recently been investigated for its effectiveness in slowing the growth of or killing certain types of human cancer.

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

Hypericum denticulatum, the coppery St. John's Wort, is a perennial herb in the flowering plant family Hypericaceae. It is native to the Eastern United States. The species has two varieties, H. denticulatum var. recognitum and H. denticulatum var. acutifolium. The herb has a diploid number of 24 or 48.

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

Hypericum majus, the greater Canadian St. John's wort, is a perennial herb native to North America. The specific epithet majus means "larger". The plant has a diploid number of 16.

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

Hypericum humboldtianum is a species of shrubby flowering plant in the St. John's wort family Hypericaceae native to Colombia and Venezuela.

<i>Hypericum sechmenii</i> Species of flowering perennial herb in the family Hypericaceae

Hypericum sechmenii, commonly called seçmen kantaronu in Turkish which means Seçmen's St. John's wort in English, is a rare species of flowering plant of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae) that is found only in the Eskişehir Province of central Turkey. It was described by Turkish botanists Atila Ocak and Onur Koyuncu who named the species in honor of Özcan Seçmen, a fellow Turkish botanist. Found in the crevices of exposed limestone, it is a perennial herb which grows in clusters of stems 3–6 centimetres tall and blooms June to July with bright yellow five-petalled flowers. Formally described in 2009, the species was first collected in 2006 and has since been found in only two localities with an estimated population of less than 250.

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

Hypericum huber-morathii is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, section Adenosepalum, and the type species of the Hypericum huber-morathii group.

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

Hypericum aucheri, also known as Koramanotu in Turkish, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the St. John's wort family Hypericaceae.

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

Hypericum coris, the heath-leaved St. John's wort, also called yellow coris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae, and is the type species of sect. Coridium. It is a low shrub, and it is found in Switzerland and northwestern Italy. The species has been a popular garden plant since the 18th century, valued for its long flowering period and for how well it adapts to cultivation.

Hypericum harperi, the sharplobe St. Johnswort or Harper's St. John's wort, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae. It is an aquatic herb native to southeast North America. H. harperi has a diploid chromosome number of 24.

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

Hypericum heterophyllum is a flowering plant in the Hypericaceae family and is the only species in Hypericum sect. Heterophylla.

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

Hypericum elodeoides, commonly called the Himalayan St. John's Wort, is a species of flowering plant of the St. John's wort family (Hypericaceae).

References

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  10. Spach, Edouard (1836). Histoire naturelle des végétaux. Vol. 5. Paris: Librairie encyclopédique de Roret. p. 404.
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  13. Kurt, Belma; Gazioglu, Isil; Sevgi, Ece; Sonmez, Fatih (2018). "Anticholinesterase, Antioxidant, Antiaflatoxigenic Activities of Ten Edible Wild Plants from Ordu Area, Turkey". Iran J Pharm Res. 17 (3): 1047–1056. PMC   6094434 . PMID   30127827.