Hypericum assamicum S.N.Biswas

Perennial or sometimes suffruticose herb 0.2-0.3(-0.4) m tall, erect, with stems often many from stout woody base.  Stems terete; internodes 2-6.5 mm, shorter than to exceeding leaves.  Leaves in perfoliate pairs; lamina 15-50 ´ 6-15 mm, oblong to oblanceolate, often suddenly somewhat narrowed below middle, glaucous beneath, plane, thinly chartaceous; apex obtuse to rounded, margin entire or rarely 'glandular-crenulate', base broadly cuneate to rounded, common base narrowed; venation: 2-3(4?) pairs of main laterals usually from lower third to half of midrib, branching and uniting near margin, with tertiary reticulation not prominent; laminar glands black, punctiform, dense; intramarginal glands black, dense.  Inflorescence c. 12-18-flowered from 2 nodes, corymbiform, with flowering branches from up to 2 nodes below, the whole then corymbiform to subpyramidal; pedicels 1-10 mm; uppermost bracts and bracteoles linear-subulate, other bracts foliar.  Flowers c. 12 mm in diam., apparently stellate; buds ovoid-ellipsoid.  Sepals 5, 5-8.5 ´ 1-2 mm, free, unequal, erect in bud and fruit, 3 larger oblanceolate-spathulate, 7-8.5 ´ 2 mm, 2 smaller oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, 5-5.5 ´ 1 mm, obtuse to acute, entire or with subapical marginal glands prominent; veins 3, midrib branched; laminar glands rather few, pale and sometimes black, punctiform; intramarginal to marginal glands irregularly spaced, black.  Petals 5, 'yellowish', not tinged red in bud, c. 5 ´ 1.7  mm, oblanceolate-spathulate, subobtuse or obtuse, margin entire? or with marginal glands ± prominent; laminar glands pale, striiform to punctiform, and a few black, punctiform; intramarginal to marginal glands black, immersed to sessile.  Stamens c. 15, longest 4-5 mm, equalling petals or almost so; anther gland black.  Ovary 1-locular with intrusive placentae, c. 2.7 ´ 2 mm, ovoid,; styles 3, c. 1 mm, c. 0.35 ´ ovary, free, erect; stigmas capitellate.  Capsule 5-6 ´ c. 4 mm, cylindric-subglobose, about equalling sepals, valves with scattered punctiform amber vesicular glands.  Seeds reddish brown, c. 0.8 mm long, cylindric, not carinate or appendiculate; testa finely ribbed-scalariform.