| Author | L. | |
| Distribution | An unusual bimodal range in the state. It is found primarily in the Coastal Plain, where it occurs over most of the southwestern half of the province, and also near the VA line. It occurs in the Mountains, and is found in most counties there. There are only a handful of records for the lower Piedmont.
Despite the scientific and common names, it is not strictly a Northern species. It ranges from eastern Canada south to northern FL and southern MS. However, it is scarce in most states west of the Appalachians.
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| Abundance | Infrequent to fairly common in the southwestern half of the Coastal Plain, but quite rare in the northeastern half of the province, and likely absent in the far eastern counties. Uncommon to fairly common in the Mountains, but very rare in the Piedmont, where mainly limited to eastern counties. | |
| Habitat | This is a wetland species, found mostly in ditches, wet meadows, bogs, marshy areas, and savannas. It prefers areas of full sun. | |
| Phenology | Blooms from July to September, and fruits shortly after blooming. | |
| Identification | This is a slender-stemmed deciduous, herbaceous species with some ascending branches from the upper part of the stem, which reaches only to about 10-15 inches tall. It has small opposite leaves, linear and entire, and only about 1-1.5 inches long. There are about two other Hypericum species with similar short and slender stature; H. mutilum has small but widely elliptic and obtuse leaves, whereas H. gymnanthum has ovate to nearly triangular leaves that are sessile and clasping at the base. Each of these has small yellow flowers less than 1/4-inch across, and only a small number blooming at a given time. As it is such a small and slender species, when not in bloom the casual botanist can easily overlook this species. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | Known to hybridize with H. mutilum.
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| Other Common Name(s) | Lesser St. John’s-wort, Canada St. John’s-wort | |
| State Rank | S4 | |
| Global Rank | G5 | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACW link |
| USACE-emp | FACW link |
