St. Andrew's CrossInflorescence - Terminal and axillary pedicillate flowers. Pedicel to 3mm long. Flower subtended by pair of brown attenuate bracts to 2mm long.
Flowers - Petals 4, yellow, 7-8mm long, 2.5-3mm broad, glabrous, blunt to acute at apex, lying flat on large sepals below, in two opposing pairs. Stamens +/-20, erect. Filaments 3-4mm long, filiform, yellow, glabrous. Anthers yellow-orange, .1mm in diameter. Ovary superior, flattened-ovoid, 3mm long, 1.5mm broad at base, glabrous. Styles 2, .5mm long. Sepals 4, in two pairs. One pair of sepals much larger than second pair, to 7.5mm long, 5mm broad, ovate, acute, glabrous. Small pair of sepals 1mm long, scalelike, acute, decussate to larger sepals. Fruit an ovoid capsule, many seeded.
Habitat - Dry rocky open woods, upland slopes and ridges, ravines.
Origin - Native to U.S.
Other info. - It is easy to ID in the field because of the distinctive flowers, which have the four petals in opposing pairs, and the reddish shredding bark.