Hypericum androsaemum 漿果金絲桃

Common name: Tutsan
Scientific name: Hypericum androsaemum 漿果金絲桃
Genus: Hypericum 金絲桃屬*
Family: Hypericaceae 金絲桃科, St. John's wort family

Remarks*: The generic name Hypericum comes from "Hyper" and "Eikon" in Greek, meaning above and picture respectively. It refers to the traditional hanging of the plants above religious pictures, to ward off evil, when they were harvested on St John the baptist’s day (June 24th – midsummers day). And it is also the reason why the family name is called St. Jons's wort.

Origin: native

Date: 15th June

An erect, branched, half-evergreen, shrubby perennial, can reach up to 100 cm. Plant is more or less shrubby. Stems are woody.

The flowering shoot.

Leaves are opposite, without stalks. Photo enlarged below to see the details of the stalk.

Stem with two raised lines. (could only see one line above - see the ridge indicated by the blue arrows)

Photo taken at another location. It is enlarged below to see the details of the stem. (26th June) 

2 lines (ridges) could be seen clearly on the stem in the above photo. (the blue arrows indicate the location of the ridges.) (26th June)
(vs stems with 4 ridges in Hypericum hircinum, stinking tutsan)

Leaves are glabrous and 10 cm long. Leaves are not smelling of goats when crushed. (vs are smelling strongly of goats when crushed in Hypericum hircinum, stinking tutsan)

The underside of the leaf.

Part of the few-flowered inflorescence.

Flower bud.

Flower is about 2 cm across. (vs 3 cm across in Hypericum hircinum, stinking tutsan)

Stamens are as long as petals. (vs stamens are longer than petals in Hypericum hircinum, stinking tutsan)

Side-view of the flower. Stamens are as long as petals. Photo enlarged below to see the details of the style.

Numerous stamens, 3 styles. Ovary could be seen clearly above. Style is shorter than the stamens.
(vs style is longer than stamens in Hypericum hircinum, stinking tutsan)
(vs 5 styles in Hypericum calycinum 大萼金絲桃, rose-of-Sharon)

The underside of the flower, showing the uneven sepals. (the sepals at 9 and 6 o'clock of the flower above are clearly thinner than the other sepals.) 

Red fruit with dropping stamens aside. It would turn black afterwards.

Bryonia dioica 歐洲甜瓜, 瀉根

Common name: White Bryony
Scientific name: Bryonia dioica 歐洲甜瓜, 瀉根
Genus: Bryonia 瀉根屬
Family: Cucurbitaceae 葫蘆科, cucurbits or gourd family

Remarks*: 

Origin: native

Date: 22th June

A dioecious climber, can reach up to 5 m. Leaves palmately lobed.

Underside of the leaf.

Only 1 tendril arising from each leaf axil.

Male flowers are also arising from the tendril of the leaf.

Flowering shoots with leaves.

Flower buds.

A male flower.

5 petals and 5 stamens for each male flower.

Photo enlarged further too see the pearl-looking pollens on the surface of the yellow anthers.

Photo enlarged below to see the details of the underside of the flower.

The underside of the male flower, showing the 5 small triangular green sepals.

Female flowering shoot.

Female flowers are more closely packed together than the male flowers because the pedicels of the female flowers are much shorter than the male one.

Each female flower has 5 petals and 1 style with 3 stigmas.

The style with 3 stigmas could be clearly seen here.

Side view of the female flower.

The ovaries are located under the petals of the female flowers.

This photo seems that the male flowers and the forming fruits are found on the same vine? However, it is dioecious from the literature... 

The petals are withering whereas the ovary are enlarging and changing into fruits.

The forming fruits.

Veronica beccabunga 有柄水苦蕒

Common name: Brooklime
Scientific name: Veronica beccabunga 有柄水苦蕒
Genus: Veronica 婆婆納屬*
Family: Plantaginaceae 車前科, plantain family

Remarks*: Veronica was formerly classified in the family Scrophulariaceae 玄參科, figwort family. This species could also be found in HK as an endemic species.

Origin: native

Date: 4th June

A creeping, ascending, glabrous perennial, can reach up to 60 cm.

Leaves are opposite and short-stalked. Stem and leaves are glabrous.

Leaves are rather fleshy, ovate and obtuse. 

The underside of the leaves.

Flowers in racemes arising from the axils of the leaves.

10-20-flowered raceme.

Side view of the flower showing the stamens, style and stigma.

Photo enlarge below to see the details of the flower.

Corolla 10 cm across. 4 deep, bright blue petals, one of which is smaller. 2 stamens and 1 style could be seen here.

The sepals of the flower.

Photo enlarged below to see the underside of the flower.

The sepals of the flower.

The fruit.