Hypericum balearicum L.

Shrub or small tree 0-6--2 m tall, usually forming rounded bushes, with branches erect to ascending, sometimes branching pseudo-dichotomously. Stems yellow-green when young, glandular-verrucose, especially along the (4) stem lines, terete after first season; internodes 2-10 mm long, shorter than leaves; bark reddish-brown. Leaves sessile; lamina (6--)8--15 x 3-7 mm, ovate to oblong-elliptic or narrowly oblong, rounded, margin ± undulate, base broadly cuneate to rounded, paler beneath, not glaucous, coriaceous, lower ones gradually deciduous; venation: 1 basal vein (midrib), 1 pair of main laterals (intramarginal vein) and c. 5 subsidiary laterals (cross veins) joining intramarginal vein, with or apparently without obscure tertiary reticulum; laminar glands large, vesicular, prominent, amber, often interspersed with ± numerous small pale dots (beneath); marginal glands dense. Inflorescence 1-flowered; pedicel 3-11 mm long; bracts sepaline, involucral. Flowers 15-40 mm in diam., stellate; buds ovoid-subglobose, obtuse to rounded. Sepals 5-7 x 2-5 mm, imbricate, ± unequal, erect in bud, ± reflexed in fruit, rounded, margin entire to apically denticulate, midrib undifferentiated or obscure; laminar glands linear, interrupted distally, numerous, sometimes also 1-4 large amber vesicular; marginal glands absent. Petals golden yellow or very rarely pale yellow, slightly red-tinged outside, deciduous, spreading, 10-20 x 4-9 mm, 2-3 x sepals, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, with apiculus very small, rounded or absent; margin entire; laminar glands linear, sometimes interrupted distally. Stamen fascicles deciduous, each with 18-25 stamens, longest 8-18 mm long, c. 0-8 x petals, with filaments very shortly united. Ovary 3-5 x 2-3 mm, narrowly ovoid-conic; styles 6-13 mm long, 2-2.5 x ovary, suberect or slightly outcurved distally; stigmas small. Capsule 8-12 x 5-7 mm, narrowly ovoid to ovoid-pyramidal. Seeds reddish-brown, c. 1-7 mm long, cylindric, not carinate or winged, finely linear-reticulate.