Hypericum elodeoides Choisy

Perennial herb 0.15-0.5(-0.73) m tall, erect (sometimes from creeping and rooting base), with stems caespitose, unbranched or rarely branched above, with branches virgate  Stems terete, eglandular; internodes 5-35 mm, usually shorter than leaves.  Leaves sessile: lamina 10-50 ´ (2-)4-12(-17) mm, lanceolate or more rarely ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic to linear, paler or glaucous beneath, plane or margins recurved, chartaceous; apex acute to subacute or more rarely obtuse to rounded, margin entire or (upper) glandular-ciliate towards base, base cordate-amplexicaul to rounded, the upper usually with glandular-ciliate auricles; venation: (2)3 pairs of main laterals from lower third to fifth of midrib, usually prominent beneath, with tertiary reticulation lax; laminar glands pale, dense, large, punctiform or shortly striiform; intramarginal glands black, sparse.  Inflorescence (1-)5-c.30-flowered, from 1(2-4) nodes, corymbiform to cylindric, very rarely with flowering branches from 1-2 nodes below; pedicels 3-12 mm; bracts and bracteoles ovate-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate or linear, with margin and auricles black-glandular-ciliate or very rarely subentire to entire without auricles.  Flowers 10-20 mm in diam., stellate; buds ellipsoid.  Sepals 5, 5-9 ´ 1-1.5(-3) mm, equal, erect in bud and fruit, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, acute, glandular-ciliate; veins 5, unbranched, prominent; laminar glands pale or black, linear to striiform; marginal glands on cilia and a few sessile, black.  Petals 5, golden yellow, not tinged red in bud, 7-15 ´ 3-4 mm, oblanceolate to obovate-oblong, margin entire, laminar glands black and sometimes a few pale, linear to punctiform, dense to sparse, marginal glands black, distal, few, sessile.  Stamens c. 60, '3'-fascicled, longest 8-11 mm, c. 0.75 ´ petals; anther gland black.  Ovary 3-locular, 2-4 ´ 1.3-1.7 mm, narrowly ovoid; styles 3, (3-)4-8 mm, c. 2 ´ ovary, divaricate, curved-ascending or straight; stigmas narrowly capitate.  Capsule 5-8 ´ 4-5.5 mm, ovoid, about equalling sepals; valves longitudinally vittate.  Seeds yellow-brown, 0.5-0.6 mm, not carinate; testa densely scalariform-reticulate.