Hypericum wardianum N. Robson

Hypericum wardianum is closely related to H. fosteri, but differs in the narrower, cuneate-based leaves without abaxial glands but with more elongate, laminar, glandular streaks, and in the smaller flowers with sepals erect in bud and spreading rather than reflexed in fruit and sometimes with the margin eroded-denticulate. Both species differ from H. hookerianum in having unribbed sepals and elongate capsules, although the elongation is less marked in the type specimen (from NE Myanmar) than in plants grown from its seeds.

Shrubs to ca. 1.5 m tall; branches erect to spreading. Stems 2-4-lined when young, soon terete; internodes 2-5 cm, shorter than leaves. Leaves with petiole 1.5-2.5 mm; blade lanceolate, 3.5-7 × (1-)1.4-2.2 cm, abaxially paler; laminar glands long streaks to dots; abaxial glands absent; main lateral veins 3-paired, without or with lax reticulate venation; base broadly to narrowly cuneate, apex rounded to apiculate-obtuse. Inflorescence 1-4-flowered, from apical node; bracts deciduous, linear. Pedicels 5-10 mm. Flowers 3-3.5 cm in diam., ± deeply cupped; buds subglobose, apex broadly obtuse to rounded. Sepals erect in bud, erect to subspreading in fruit, oblong to elliptic or oblanceolate-spatulate, subequal, 6-9 × 2-4 mm; laminar glands lines to distally dots, not becoming impressed (sepals not apparently ribbed) margin entire or finely eroded-denticulate, apex apiculate-obtuse to rounded. Petals golden-yellow, broadly obovate, 1.5-2 × 1-1.5 cm, 2-2.5 × as long as sepals; margin entire, eglandular; apiculus rounded. Stamen fascicles each with ca. 70 stamens, longest 8-9 mm, ca. 0.5 × as long as petals. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 7 × 4 mm; styles spreading-outcurved, 4-5 mm, ca. 0.8 × as long as ovary, free. Capsule narrowly cylindric-ellipsoid to ± broadly ellipsoid, (12-)15-16 × 7-10 mm. Seeds reddish brown, 0.7-0.9 mm, not or scarcely carinate; testa linear-reticulate. Fl. May-?Jul, fr. Aug-Oct.

W Yunnan (Yangbi) [NE Myanmar].

Clearings and understories of broad-leaved evergreen forests; 2600-3000 m.