Hypericum elatoides R. Keller

Hypericum elatoides is most closely related to H. monogynum, in particular to an ovate- to oblong-leaved form from Jiangsu belonging to form (iii). It is rather similar to H. prattii (from Sichuan), but differs from it by the apically obtuse to rounded (not acute to apiculate), rela tively narrower leaves and the small, triangular-ovate, often minutely reddish-glandular-ciliate sepals. In H. prattii , the sepals are large and ovate-lanceolate to elliptic with an entire margin.

The tardily deciduous petals and stamens, suffruticose habit, and sometimes gland-margined sepals make this species anomalous in Hypericum sect. Ascyreia , but it is better placed there than in a separate section. With these characters, in fact, it forms a link between H. sect. Ascyreia and the Caucasian H. sect. Bupleuroides Stefanoff.

Suffrutex, 35-82 cm tall; stems solitary or few, usually slender, erect from ascending or creeping, branching and rooting base, unbranched below inflorescence. Stems shallowly 4-lined below nodes, sometimes 2-lined below or becoming nearly terete; internodes (3-)4.5-10.5 cm, shorter than leaves. Leaves sessile or with petiole to 1.5 mm; blade oblong or oblong-triangular to broadly ovate, 4.4-11 × 1.8-5 cm, thinly papery, abaxially rather paler, not glaucous; laminar glands, very small, streaks to dots; abaxial glands absent; main lateral veins 4- or 5-paired, main midvein branches nearly equally strong, tertiary reticulation dense and abaxially prominent; base cordate-amplexicaul to truncate, apex obtuse to short apiculate or rounded. Inflorescence (1-)5-13-flowered, from 1 or 2 nodes, rarely with flowering branches from one node below, the whole lax, flat-topped; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate to linear-elliptic, persistent. Pedicels (0.3-)1-5 cm. Flowers 4-8 cm in diam., stellate, with petals becoming reflexed, tardily deciduous; buds narrowly ovoid, apex ± acute. Sepals free or to 1/4 united, erect to suberect, ovate to triangular-ovate, equal, 3-5(-7) × 1.5-3(-5) mm, laminar glands lines with the outer interrupted, marginal glands reddish or absent, margin entire or occasionally minutely irregularly reddish glandular-ciliate, apex obtuse to acute. Petals bright yellow, 2.5-4 cm × 7-10(-15) mm, 6-8 × as long as sepals, oblanceolate; margin entire, eglandular; apiculus absent. Stamen fascicles each with 45-60 stamens, longest 1.5-2.5 cm, 0.5-0.65(-0.8) × as long as petals. Ovary ± broadly ovoid, 4-6(-7) × 3.5-4.5 mm; styles 1.3-1.9 cm, 2.3-4.5 × as long as ovary, united nearly to apices then outcurved. Capsule broadly to narrowly ovoid or ovoid-conic, 0.9-1.6 cm × 6-11 mm. Seeds dark reddish brown, 1.1-1.5 mm, very shallowly carinate; testa densely reticulate. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Aug.

Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi.

● Damp places in open woodlands and open grasslands; 800-1000 m.

Hypericum ascyron Linnaeus var. punctatostriatum R. Keller; H. monogynum Linnaeus var. franchetii Baroni.