Hypericum japonicum
Thunb.
Hypericaceae
Ascyrum humifusum Labill.
Brathys caespitosa Blume
Brathys debilis Blume
Brathys humifusa Spach
Brathys japonica (Thunb.) Wight
Brathys laxa Blume
Brathys nepalensis Blume
Brathys orysetum Blume
Brathys radicans Blume
Hypericum calycatum Jacquem. ex Dyer
Hypericum cavaleriei H. Lév.
Hypericum chinense Osbeck
Hypericum laxum (Blume) Koidz.
Hypericum nervatum Hance
Hypericum pusillum Choisy
Hypericum scaturiginum Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
Hypericum thunbergii Franch. & Sav.
Sarothra japonica (Thunb.) Y.Kimura
Sarothra laxa (Blume) Y.Kimura
Tridia frankenioides Korth.
Common Name: Matted St. John's Wort
General Information
Hypericum japonicum is a very variable, annual to short-lived perennial plant with erect to decumbent or prostrate stems that root at the base. It can grow from 2 - 50cm tall[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.
Known Hazards
The plant is suspected of causing photo-sensitization[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
]. Feeding trials to livestock in New Zealand have shown that it is non-toxic[
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
].
Botanical References
58- Title
- Flora of Japan. (English translation)
- Publication
-
- Author
- Ohwi. G.
- Publisher
- Smithsonian Institution
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Indian subcontinent, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines to New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand
Habitat
Wet places in lowland, C. and S. Japan. Rice fields, ditches, marshes, grasslands and waste places from sea level to around 3,000 metres[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
]. Wet or marshy to dry localities, but always in exposed places, from sea-level up to 3,400 mtres[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual/Perennial |
| Height | 0.50 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Self-fertile | Yes |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Easily grown in any reasonably good well-drained but moisture retentive soil[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Succeeds in sun or semi-shade but flowers better in a sunny position. This species is found in the wild in wet soils.
A very variable species[
266- Title
- Flora of China
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
- Year
- 1994
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The plant is alterative, antiphlogistic, astringent, depurative, febrifuge, stomachic and vulnerary[
147- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
,
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
,
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is decocted with water for use[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
]. It is used in the treatment of asthma and dysentery, acute hepatitis, pain in the liver region, appendicitis, boils and abscesses and has also been used as a styptic[
147- Title
- A Barefoot Doctors Manual.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Running Press; Philadelphica.
- Year
- 1977
- ISBN
- 0-914294-92-X
- Description
- A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.
,
240- Title
- Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement).
- Publication
-
- Author
- Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C.
- Publisher
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.
- Year
- 1986
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
,
272- Title
- Plants and People of Nepal
- Publication
-
- Author
- Manandhar. N. P.
- Publisher
- Timber Press. Oregon.
- Year
- 2002
- ISBN
- 0-88192-527-6
- Description
- Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
]. Combined with ginger (Zingiber officinale) and ash salt, it is used in the treatment of malaria[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
]. The plant has also shown antitumour activity[
218- Title
- Medicinal Plants of China
- Publication
-
- Author
- Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S.
- Publisher
- Reference Publications, Inc.
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-917256-20-4
- Description
- Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
].
Applied externally, it is used to treat wounds, leech and snake bites, swellings, abscesses, scrofula and fungal skin diseases[
310- Title
- Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://proseanet.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow in a nursery seedbed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out when large enough.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
