Hypericaceae

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Hypericaceae
Genera: Cratoxylum – Eliea – Harungana – Hypericum – Psorospermum – Vismia

Name

Hypericaceae Juss., Gen. Pl. [Jussieu] 254. (1789), nom. cons.

Type genus: Hypericum L., Sp. Pl. 2: 783. (1753)

Synonyms

Ascyraceae Plenck, Elem. Termin. Bot.: 162 (1796)

References
Primary references

Jussieu, A.L. de 1789. Genera plantarum, secundum ordines naturales disposita juxta methodum in Horto Regio Parisiensi exaratam. 498 pp. Paris: Herissant et Theophile Barrois. BHL Reference page. : 254.

Additional references

Norman, K.B. 2016. And then came molecular phylogenetics—Reactions to a monographic study of Hypericum (Hypericaceae). Phytotaxa 255(3): 181-198. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.255.3.1 Paywall ResearchGate Reference page.
Ruhfel, B.R., Bittrich, V., Bove, C.P., Gustafsson, M.H., Philbrick, C.T., Rutishauser, R., Xi, Z. & Davis, C.C. 2011. Phylogeny of the clusioid clade (Malpighiales): evidence from the plastid and mitochondrial genomes. American Journal of Botany 98(2): 306-325. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1000354 PDF Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Hypericaceae in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Nov 04. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2021. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Hypericaceae. Accessed: 04 Nov 2021.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Hypericaceae. Published online. Accessed: Nov 04 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Hypericaceae. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 04 Nov 2021.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Hypericaceae in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 Nov 04. Reference page.

Vernacular names
العربية: عرنية
azərbaycanca: Dazıkimilər
беларуская: Сьвятаяньнікавыя
català: Hipericàcies
čeština: Třezalkovité
dansk: Perikon-familien
Deutsch: Johanniskrautgewächse
English: St John's-wort family
eesti: Naistepunalised
فارسی: گل‌راعیان
suomi: Kuismakasvit
français: Hypéricacées
עברית: פרעיים
hrvatski: Goračevke
hornjoserbsce: Křižomnikowe rostliny
magyar: Orbáncfűfélék
հայերեն: Սրոհունդազգիներ
日本語: オトギリソウ科
қазақша: Шайқурай тұқымдасы
한국어: 물레나물과
kurdî: Famîleya botavan
lietuvių: Jonažoliniai
македонски: Кантариони
Nederlands: Hertshooifamilie
polski: Dziurawcowate
română: Hipericacee
русский: Зверобойные
slovenčina: ľubovníkovité
svenska: Johannesörtsväxter
ไทย: วงศ์ติ้ว
українська: Звіробійні
Tiếng Việt: Họ Ban
中文（简体）: 金丝桃科
中文（繁體）: 金絲桃科

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.

Characteristics

Members of this family are annual or perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrubs. The leaves are simple and entire, in opposite pairs; they are sometimes dotted with black or translucent glandular spots. The inflorescence consists of a branched, flat-topped cluster, each flower being radially symmetrical, with a superior ovary. Flowers have the following components: sepals, four or five, which tend to persist; petals four or five, usually yellow, sometimes dotted with black specks; stamens many, on long filaments; styles, three to five, often fused at the base. The fruit has a dehiscent capsule which splits open when ripe to release the fine black seed.[2]
Taxonomy

At one time, this family was accepted as a subfamily of the family Clusiaceae. Now it has been elevated to full family status. In Phytotaxa, six genera and around 590 species are listed,[3] whereas The Plant List recognises nine genera and around 700 species. Members of the family are found worldwide except in excessively cold or dry areas. Most of the genera are mainly tropical, but Hypericum and Triadenum are found in temperate regions.[4] Molecular data supports the monophyly of Hypericaceae.[5]

When accepted as a complete family, the cladogram of Hypericaceae would appear as such:

Hypericaceae	Cratoxyleae   Cratoxylum     Eliea     Triadenum         Hypericeae   Hypericum     Thornea     Lianthus         Vismieae   Harungana     Psorospermum     Vismia

 
 
 
Pharmacology
Common St. John's wort

Many members of this family contain the naphthodianthrone derivatives hypericin and pseudohypericin; these are contained in glandular tissues that appear as black, orange or translucent spots or lines on petals, leaves and other parts of the plant. These compounds are photosensitive and can cause reactions in grazing animals, such as blistering of the muzzle, as well as in people who come into contact with the plants over prolonged periods.[4] The highest concentration of these substances occurs in common St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), which is used in herbalism and as a folk remedy.[6]
References

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
"Hypericaceae (St. John's-wort) family". Go Botany. New England Wildflower Society. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.
Robson, Norman K.B. "Hypericaceae Jussieu: St John's Wort Family". Flora of North America. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
Kenneth J. Wurdack; Charles C. Davis (2009), "Malpighiales phylogenetics: Gaining ground on one of the most recalcitrant clades in the angiosperm tree of life", American Journal of Botany, 96 (8): 1551–1570, doi:10.3732/ajb.0800207, PMID 21628300
"St. John's Wort". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. September 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2018.