Bees dancing gracefully, revealing the beauty of their lively motion

It was on my third trip to photograph the Hypericum patulum flowers that I noticed the intense buzzing around me, with swarms of bees flying among the blossoms. There was also a common small white moth. That day was sunny, 28 degrees, already carrying the heat of early summer. This new discovery left a deep impression on me: Hypericum patulum is very likely also a nectar-source plant.

Hypericum patulum is the most dazzling flower of May. Its five golden, rounded large petals truly resemble an oversized plum blossom; and at the center of the flower are five bundles of equally golden stamens. The name "Jinsimei" (Golden-thread Plum) perfectly captures the characteristics of this flower.

Although it looks very much like a plum blossom, closer observation reveals that the petals of Hypericum patulum have their own distinct features. Plum blossom petals are both symmetrical and rounded. The petals of Hypericum patulum, however, are asymmetrical, and the petal tips have jagged, tooth-like notches as if nibbled by insects.

The golden stamens, bearing yellow anthers, are grouped into five bundles, positioned opposite the petals. How many stamens are in each bundle? I actually counted them: 50. These stamens are relatively short, about half the length of the petals. Its stigmas are also 5 in number, free, and nearly equal to or slightly longer than the ovary.

Asymmetrical petals

Short and plump flower buds

When the flower is in full bloom, petals and sepals spread out horizontally

Before the flower fades, the petals first close together

On my second visit, I paid special attention to whether its petals and stamens fall off after flowering. You might say, isn't it perfectly normal for petals and stamens to drop after blooming? Is it really necessary to mention it separately? Because according to the Flora of China, the first feature in the key for distinguishing the more than 60 species of the genus Hypericum is whether the petals and stamens fall off. Hypericum patulum belongs to the deciduous group.

Petals and stamens all fall off after flowering

Styles 5, free, slightly longer than the ovary

The inflorescence of Hypericum patulum is a standard dichasial cyme. This type of inflorescence appears rarely among the plants we have encountered, and is a type of determinate inflorescence. The so-called determinate inflorescence is characterized by flowers opening from top to bottom and from the inside outward. Because the terminal flower opens first, it limits the growth of the inflorescence axis.

The terminal flower of Hypericum patulum opens first, and the inflorescence axis produces one lateral flower branch on each side, left and right. In each lateral branch, the central flower also opens first, and then branches on both sides, and so on repeatedly. This order of flowering from the center outward is also called centrifugal.

A very standard dichasial cyme

The terminal flower opens first

Dichasial cyme diagram, image: wiki

In contrast, in a raceme like that of the black locust, flowers open from bottom to top;Wild carrot's umbel, the flowers open from the outer edge toward the center. This centripetal type of flowering inflorescence is called an indeterminate inflorescence, because the inflorescence axis continues to grow as flowering progresses.

In fact, I have rather contradictory feelings about Hypericum patulum and its close relative Hypericum monogynum. I always feel they are a bit too perfect, and too dazzling, so I don't feel quite close to them in my heart. But whenever I observe them up close, I have to admit that they are indeed incomparably beautiful, a miracle of nature's creation.

The genus name Hypericum comes from the Greek roots hyper + eikon, referring to the practice of hanging this plant in pictures for the purpose of warding off evil or protecting the home. The species epithet patulum means spreading or extended, perhaps referring to the form of the petals and calyx when the flower is in full bloom?

There are 64 species of this genus in our country, of which 33 are native species, widely distributed across China, but most concentrated in the great southwest region. Several species of the genus Hypericum share the alias "Mangzhong flower," clearly indicating that summer is their peak blooming season.

Leaves oblong-ovate, bicolored on both surfaces, green on the upper side, greenish-white on the underside

I encountered Hypericum patulum in an ecological park near my office. But their characteristics differ somewhat from the description of Hypericum patulum in the Flora of China. The main difference is that the flowers are larger, with a diameter of about 6 cm, whereas the Flora of China records the flower diameter of Hypericum patulum as 4 cm; the young stems are cylindrical, whereas the Flora of China describes the stems of Hypericum as having two ridges. I suspect they are very likely a horticultural hybrid.

Hypericum patulum has a famous horticultural cultivar, 'Hidcote' (Hypericum x "Hidcote"), which once received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. The Missouri Botanical Garden in the United States records the characteristics of this horticultural variety: the flower shape closely resembles a rose flower, with a waxy texture, cup-shaped, flower diameter 7.5 cm, slightly fragrant, with a flowering period that can last the entire summer. Leaves dark green, willow-shaped, 5-7.5 cm long. Stems reddish, with many branches.

The one I encountered matches most of these characteristics, but the flower diameter is not quite that large. Let me leave it in doubt for now; the pitfalls of the horticultural world are too many.

Fallen bundles of stamens

The difference at a glance: the petals of Hypericum monogynum are more slender, and they tend to droop when open, giving the visual impression of "a maidservant lifting up a delicate beauty too weak to stand." The number of stamens is fewer than in Hypericum patulum, about 30-40 per bundle, but they are nearly equal in length to the petals, reaching up to 3.2 cm at the longest. The most important difference is the pistil: the styles of Hypericum monogynum are far longer than the ovary, almost fused to the top, with only a very shallow 5-lobed split at the apex.

Hypericum monogynum flower

Styles far longer than the ovary, almost fused to the top

Flower buds more slender

Pedicels very long, inflorescence more loosely arranged

Leaves also more slender

The slender quality is not only in the flowers. The inflorescence of Hypericum monogynum is more loosely arranged, and the pedicels, flower bud shapes, and leaves are all more slender.

In the horticultural world abroad, Hypericum monogynum and Hypericum patulum are both commonly grouped under the name St John's Wort. It is said that hypericin can be extracted from it, used for antidepressant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory purposes, wound astringency, and even for the treatment of AIDS. Today hypericin is as precious as gold. In fact, hypericin is an extract of Hypericum perforatum of the same genus, not of Hypericum monogynum or Hypericum patulum.

By the way, why does Hypericum patulum particularly attract bees? I found the answer in the book "An Overview of Nectar Plants" (edited by Liang Shikui and Ren Zaijin): "The flowers of Hypericum patulum have no nectaries; what they have is abundant pollen, which bees especially love to collect. It is an important pollen source in the mountainous areas of central China and the southwest in summer, and can be used to produce edible pollen, with great potential. Plants of the same genus are also important pollen-source resources in our country."

Bees especially love Hypericum patulum

Flight of the Bumble-Bee

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The article and plant images (unless otherwise credited) are all original works by the author

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