#1953 - Hypericum perforatum - St. John's Wort
AKA perforate St John’s wort, klamath weed, tipton weed, goat weed, Hypericum officinale, H. perforatum var. perforatum, H. perforatum var. angustifolium, H. perforatum var. microphyllum, H. perforatum var. veronense, H. veronense, and H. vulgare.
Depending which source you consult, either amember of the member of the Mangosteen family Clusiaceae, the Hypericaceae, or the Guttiferae.
Native to Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa (a combination that shows up a lot in this blog). Now a weed in more than 20 countries. A significant pest in North America, where it had infested more than 2 million hectares by 1940, prior to control by Chrysolina beetles. A noxious weed in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. Animal production losses in New South Wales have been estimated at $22.5 million a year.
The leaves and flowers contain hypericin, which leads to photo-sensitisation when eaten. Despite that it continues to be sold for its perceived horticultural and medicinal values. A lot of those medical uses are related to depression, but given the very wide range of other medical conditions it’s supposedly useful against, and the very serious risks of adverse interactions with other medications, I wouldn’t risk it myself.
