Spotted St. Johnswort

Description:

To my eye, the black speckles that cover this flower and its leaves look like a rust or mildew or some other disease, but it is actually an indicator for its species. As with several St. Johnswort species, Spotted St. Johnswort has 5 bright yellow petals with many stamens surrounding a central green pistil. The stamens are joined at the base into 3 or 5 fascicles, a characteristic shared with a half-dozen or so Hypericum species. The petals are black-spotted throughout much or all of the petal (Hypericum perforatum only near the margins) and the sepals are also covered with black dots or lines.

Habitat:

Found throughout the eastern United States as far west as Texas and Minnesota.

Notes:

Spotted at Skymount Scout Reservation