St Johns Wort
Keisha Kennedy
Bot 322
May 05, 2013
“Devil’s Temptations”
Hypericum perforatum (common name St. Johnswort) is a member of the Hypericaceae. It is a perennial (relatively long-lived) plant that can easily be recognized by its bright yellow flowers. It blooms near Summer solstice, thus derives its common name because it blooms near June 24th, the birthday of the Baptist St John (Sheahan, 2012). The word “wort” means “plant” in Old English. It has been associated with religion and witchcraft, and there are many mysteries about how the plant got its scientific name. One way the plant may have got its name is, Hypericum is said to come from the Greek word “hyperikon” which is broken down into hyper (meaning over), and eikon (meaning image). It was believed that the Greeks used the plant above religious images to drive off evil spirits. The Latin species name perforatum means hole, which refers to the translucent dots on the leaves that look like tiny holes. (Sheahan, 2012).When these dots are pressed they will release the plants essential oils.
The plant is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa (Sheahan, 2012).Today you can find the plant throughout United States. It was thought that European settlers brought the seeds here for their gardens because it was valued for its spiritual, medicinal and magical powers. It had escaped cultivation and spread along roadsides from Florida to Maine by the Revolutionary War(Crompton,1998) The plant goes back to many centuries, and is surrounded by mystical legends. Hypericum perforatum has been used for at least 2,400 years, from ancient civilizations in Greece, through pagan Europe and the Middle Ages, till today (Davies, 2012). The ancient Greeks used it for reptile bites, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal distress, and depression. After it was brought to United States, Native Americans used it to treat diarrhea, wounds, and snakebites (Rees,1995). There were other records of it being used to drive off
Bot 322
May 05, 2013
“Devil’s Temptations”
Hypericum perforatum (common name St. Johnswort) is a member of the Hypericaceae. It is a perennial (relatively long-lived) plant that can easily be recognized by its bright yellow flowers. It blooms near Summer solstice, thus derives its common name because it blooms near June 24th, the birthday of the Baptist St John (Sheahan, 2012). The word “wort” means “plant” in Old English. It has been associated with religion and witchcraft, and there are many mysteries about how the plant got its scientific name. One way the plant may have got its name is, Hypericum is said to come from the Greek word “hyperikon” which is broken down into hyper (meaning over), and eikon (meaning image). It was believed that the Greeks used the plant above religious images to drive off evil spirits. The Latin species name perforatum means hole, which refers to the translucent dots on the leaves that look like tiny holes. (Sheahan, 2012).When these dots are pressed they will release the plants essential oils.
The plant is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa (Sheahan, 2012).Today you can find the plant throughout United States. It was thought that European settlers brought the seeds here for their gardens because it was valued for its spiritual, medicinal and magical powers. It had escaped cultivation and spread along roadsides from Florida to Maine by the Revolutionary War(Crompton,1998) The plant goes back to many centuries, and is surrounded by mystical legends. Hypericum perforatum has been used for at least 2,400 years, from ancient civilizations in Greece, through pagan Europe and the Middle Ages, till today (Davies, 2012). The ancient Greeks used it for reptile bites, menstrual cramping, gastrointestinal distress, and depression. After it was brought to United States, Native Americans used it to treat diarrhea, wounds, and snakebites (Rees,1995). There were other records of it being used to drive off