Hypericum addingtonii (Nomenclature)
Shrub 1.5-2 m tall, spreading to 2.5 m wide, with branches arching to spreading. Stem yellow-brown, 4-angled but not ancipitous when young, soon terete; internodes 10-50 mm long, shorter than leaves. Leaves petiolate, with petiole 1-2.5 mm long; lamina (20-)25-85 x 10-40 mm, elliptic-oblong to ovate-lanceolate or oblong- lanceolate, apiculate or obtuse to rounded, margin plane, base truncate to rounded, paler beneath, not glaucous, chartaceous; venation: 3-4(5) pairs main laterals, all or only distal ones closed, with subsidiaries rarely prominent and tertiary reticulum not visible; laminar glands dots and short streaks; ventral glands absent or rarely sparse. Inflorescence l-3(-5)-flowered from apical node; pedicels 2-10 mm long; bracts reduced, lanceolate, persistent. Flowers (30-)50-65 mm in diam., shallowly cyathiform; buds ovoid, obtuse. Sepals 7-10 x 4.5-6.2 mm, free, imbricate, subqual, erect in bud and fruit, ovate to oblong-ovate or oblong-spathulate, acute or apiculate to obtuse or rounded-apiculate, margin entire or minutely denticulate, sometimes narrowly hyaline; midrib distinct, veins becoming prominent after flowering; laminar glands linear or interrupted, numerous. Petals golden yellow, shallowly incurved, (20-)25-32 x (12-)15-32 mm, 3-4 x sepals, broadly obovate to subcircular, with apiculus lateral rounded; margin entire. Stamen fascicles each with 40-45 stamens, longest 12-15 mm long, c. 0-4 x petals; anthers yellow. Ovary 5-7 x 3-5 mm, ovoid; styles 4.5-5(-7) mm, 0.7-0.8(-l) x ovary, free, suberect, outcurving near apex; stigmas scarcely capitate. Capsule c. 20 x 10-12 mm, ovoid to cylindric- ovoid. Seeds dark reddish-brown, 1-1.2 mm long, cylindric, not or scarcely carinate, shallowly linear- reticulate.
2n = 20 ?
Habitat unknown; 1800-3100 m.
China (NW. Yunnan).
H. addingtonii, which occurs only in north-west Yunnan, was probably introduced to cultivation by Forrest and appears to be quite widespread in British gardens. It has been confused (by me as well as others) with H. leschenaultii and H. beanii; but the chartaceous leaves and sepals, the sepal shape and constantly erect attitude, and the spreading habit are among the characters distinguishing it from H. leschenaultii, whilst it differs from H. beanii by the spreading habit, the more slender and soon terete stems, and the often larger flowers with much shorter stamens. H. addingtonii, which appears to be most closely related to H. latisepalum, shows an unusually wide variation in leaf size (20-85 mm in length, typically 80 x 40 mm overall). The Rock specimen is somewhat atypical, having narrower sepals than usual, reddish stems and a few ventral leaf-glands.