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Nomenclature
sect. Origanifolia Stef.
Nomenclature
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Genus: Hypericum
DIAGNOSTIC DESCRIPTION
Perennial herbs, sometimes shrubby at base, up to 0.54 m tall, pubescent to glabrous, often glaucous, with stems erect to prostrate from taproot, branching basal and from upper nodes, sometimes rooting, with dark (black) glands on stems, leaves, sepals, petals and anthers. Stems persistently 2-lined or very rarely becoming subterete, glandular. Leaves opposite, decussate, sessile or shortly petiolate, free, persistent, coriaceous to chartaceous; lamina entire with venation pinnate; laminar glands pale and often also dark; intramarginal glands dark, regular or ± irregular or very rarely absent; ventral glands absent. Inflorescence 1–c. 60-flowered, with branching monochasial or rarely initially dichasial from up to 9 nodes, without or occasionally with flowering branches below; buds erect. Flowers stellate, homostylous. Sepals 5, equal or subequal, basally united or very rarely free, slightly or not imbricate, persistent, erect in fruit, with margin gland-fringed or rarely subentire; veins (1–)3–5(–7), not or obscurely branching; laminar glands pale and/or dark, linear to punctiform; marginal glands dark. Petals 5, persistent, erect but not or slightly twisting after flowering, without apiculus; margin entire; laminar glands pale and/or dark, striiform to punctiform; marginal glands black, punctiform or absent. Stamen fascicles ‘3’ (i.e. 2+2+1), persistent, with stamens totalling 20–40, basally united in each fascicle; anther gland black; pollen type IV. Ovary with 3 axile placentae, each ∞-ovulate; styles 3, divergent from discrete bases; stigma small. Capsule 3-valved, subcoriaceous to chartaceous, erect; valves with 1-3 dorsal vittae, sometimes interrupted, and lateral vesicles striiform to punctiform. Seeds cylindric to ovoid-cylindric, not carinate or appendiculate; testa linear-foveolate to foveolate-scalariform, when dense appearing rugulose.