Stems herbaceous, slightly four-angled, mainly simple or with a few branches, erect, 6 to 20 inches high from a perennial root. Leaves oval or elliptic, sessile, spreading, thin in texture, three-fourths to 1 ¼ inches long and one-fourth to one-half of an inch wide, blunt at the apex. Flowers pale yellow, few or several in terminal cymes, each flower about one-half of an inch broad, central flower of each cluster opening first, the lateral branches of the cluster developing later; sepals slightly shorter than the petals; styles three, united below; capsules or fruit ovoid-globose, about one-eighth of an inch long and one-celled. Sepals and petals occasionally four instead of five.

Memoir 15 N. Y. State Museum

Plate 130

B. Elliptic-Leaved Or Pale Saint John's-Wort - Hypericum ellipticum

In low grounds, swamps and along streams, Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to New Jersey, Maryland and Minnesota. Flowering in July and August. Our illustration was made from plants just beginning to flower, before the lateral branches of the cyme were developed.