Hypericum triquetrifolium

Botanical Description

Hypericum triquetrifolium is a perennial plant with a dense tangle of thin branches, glabrous but spotted with small black glands; it can grow up to 50cm tall. The sap is resinous. The plant has deep vertical roots and a shallow rhizome system from which new shoots are produced. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. Hypericum triquetrifolium is listed as a 'principal' weed in Tunisia and a 'common' weed of Lebanon. In these and other countries of the Middle East, it is a weed of cereals, orchards, vineyards, and waste places. It has established a small infestation in Australia, where it is listed as a noxious weed. Since it is a weed of annual and perennial crops in a wide range of countries, there is a significant risk of accidental introduction into other countries as a contaminant of crop seed or other agricultural produce or containers.