Hypericum scabrum L.

On dry or stony slopes, 24-3300 in. The Pakistan plants belong to the typical form, with scabrid stems and sepals with glandular margin.

Perennial herb. Stem (10-)15-45(-60) cm long, erect or decumbent at the base, 2-lined, glandular-scabrid or rarely smooth and eglandular, with branches spreading to ascending. Leaves sessile, on main stems 7-20-(-25)mm long, 15-55 mm broad, oblong or oblong-elliptic to lanceolate or linear, apex rounded to mucronate, base cuneate, entire, without black glands. Inflore¬scence a dense 15-many-flowered, corymbose cymes; flowers 0.5-1.40 m in diameter. Sepals 1-2.5 mm long, oblong, subacute to rounded, 1/3-2/3 united, irregularly glandular-denticulate or glandular-ciliate or eglandular¬ciliate to subentire. Petals oblanceolate to obovate, unguiculate, 5-8 mm long, usually with marginal black glands. Stamens in `3' fascicles (2+2+1). Ovary 3-locular, 1-3 mm long; styles 1.5-2 x longer than the ovary, free, divergent. Capsule 5-8 mm long, ovoid or ovoid-trigonous, longitudinally vittate. Seeds 1.5 mm long, not apiculate or carinate; testa papillose.

Herbs, perennial, (5-)10-45(-60) cm tall, erect or decumbent, glabrous, sometimes with decumbent to ascending vegetative shoots from base; stems numerous, much branched above with branches ascending. Stems 2(-?4)-lined, scabrid with simple red-gland-tipped emergences especially toward base [or rarely nearly smooth]. Leaves sessile or subsessile; those on main stem with blade oblong or elliptic to lanceolate or linear, 0.7-2(-2.7) cm × 1.5-6.5 mm; thickly papery, rarely glaucous or the upper epidermis undulate; laminar glands pale, numerous, dots; main lateral veins 1- or 2-paired, tertiary reticulation not visible; base cuneate, margin entire and sometimes revolute, apex rounded to mucronate or uncinate. Leaves on axillary and vegetative shoots smaller, linear, more acute to uncinate. Inflorescence (5 to) many flowered, from 1-4 nodes, sometimes with flowering branches from 1 or 2 nodes below, flat-topped, ± dense, 0.5-8(-11) cm, to 6(-9) cm wide; bracts and bracteoles oblong to linear, margin entire or eroded or with black glands near apex. Flowers 5-14 mm in diam., stellate; buds short cylindric to globose. Sepals 1/3 to 2/3 united, oblong, equal, 1-2.5 × 0.7-1.2 mm; laminar glands pale, usually in 2 lines; marginal glands black, on cilia or denticles, or absent; margin irregularly glandular-denticulate to -ciliate or eglandular-ciliate to subentire, apex rounded to subacute; veins 3. Petals bright or golden yellow, not red-tinged, oblanceolate to obovate, (3-)5-8 × (1-)2-3.5 mm, 3-4 × as long as sepals, long-clawed; laminar glands pale, dots and sometimes lines; margin distally usually black-glandular-ciliate. Stamens 25 to ca. 45, 4-8 mm, 0.8-1 × as long as petals. Ovary narrowly ovoid; styles 2-5 mm, erect, distally outcurved. Capsule ovoid-acuminate, (3-)4-8 × 2.5-5 mm, 2-2.5 × as long as sepals. Seeds dark brown, 1.5-2 mm. Fl. Jul, fr. Aug-Sep. 2n = 24, 28, ?48.

Distribution: Palestine and Turkey to Transcaucasia, Kazakhstan and Chitral.

Xinjiang (Altay Shan) [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan; SW Asia, SE Europe].

Fl. Per.: May July.

Dry stony and rocky places, open or in scrub; 1100-1600 m.

Drosanthe scabra (Linnaeus) Spach; Hypericum asperum Ledebour.