Hypericum patulum Thunb.

Shrub 0-3-l-5(-3) m tall, bushy, with branches spreading, sometimes weakly fron- dose. Stems reddish to orange, 4-lined or 4-angled when young, soon 2-lined, sometimes eventually terete; internodes 8-40 mm long, shorter than or rarely exceeding leaves; bark greyish-brown. Leaves petiolate, with petiole 0.5-2 mm long; lamina 15-60 x 5-30 mm, lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate to ovate or oblong-ovate, obtuse to rounded, always apiculate, margin plane, not incrassate, base narrowly or broadly cuneate to shortly angustate, rather glaucous beneath, chartaceous; venation: 3 pairs main laterals, with midrib branched distally and scarcely visible lax tertiary reticulum; laminar glands short streaks and dots; ventral glands ± dense. Inflorescence 1-15-flowered, from 1-2 nodes, corymbiform, sometimes with short apical internode, sometimes with 1-3-flowered branches from middle of stem; pedicels 2-4(-7) mm long; bracts narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong, deciduous. Flowers 25-40 mm in diam., ± cyathiform; buds broadly ovoid, obtuse. Sepals 5-10 x 3.5-7 mm, free, ± imbricate, subequal or unequal, erect in bud and fruit, broadly ovate or broadly elliptic or subcircular to oblong-elliptic or obovate- spathulate, obtuse to rounded or retuse and usually apiculate, with margin finely eroded-denticulate to ciliolate, hyaline, often reddish; midrib often distinct, veins not or slightly prominent; laminar glands linear, numerous. Petals golden yellow, not tinged red, ± incurved, 12-18 x 10-14 mm, 1.5-2.5 x sepals, oblong-obovate to broadly obovate, with apiculus lateral, ± rounded to obsolete; margin entire or slightly eroded-denticulate, with a row of inframarginal gland dots. Stamen fascicles each with c. 50-70 stamens, longest 7-12 mm long, 0-4-0-5 x petals; anthers bright yellow. Ovary 5-6 x 3-5.4 mm, ± broadly ovoid; styles 4-5-5 mm long, 0.75-0.95 x ovary, ± erect, outcurved towards apex; stigmas not or scarcely capitate. Capsule 9-11 x 8-10 mm, broadly ovoid. Seeds dark brown, 1-1.2 mm long, ± cylindric, not or scarcely carinate, shallowly linear-foveolate. 2n = 36? (record is probably based on a misidentification, see Robson 1981: 150-151).