Hypericum gentianoides

Hypericum gentianoides is a species of flowering plant in the St. John's wort family Hypericaceae. Its common names include orangegrass and pineweed.

Hypericum gentianoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Hypericaceae
Genus:	Hypericum
Section:	H. sect. Brathys
Species:	H. gentianoides
Binomial name
Hypericum gentianoides (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
Synonyms
Sarothra gentianoides L.

Native to eastern North America, it ranges from Ontario; Nova Scotia and Maine south to Florida, west to Texas, and north to Missouri and Minnesota.^[1][2]

It is an annual herb typically growing 10–40 cm tall. The leaves are repressed against the stem, 1-3mm long, and scale-like; an adaptation to reduce transpiration in exposed environments.^[3] The flowers are no more than 3mm across, with five to ten stamens, and three styles.^[4][5] It commonly grows in nutrient poor soil, sand, and on exposed sites, but is also known to occur in wetter areas such as coastal plain marshes.^[5] The name orangegrass refers to the citrus smell that is released when it is crushed.^[6] Chemical extracts of H. gentianoides have been found to inhibit the contraction of HIV.^[7]