Hypericum wightianum (Nomenclature)
Perennial or annual herb (0.08-)0.13-0.45 m tall, erect to decumbent or procumbent from creeping and rooting base, with stems single or few, clustered, usually branched above but rarely throughout, with branches short, spreading-ascending. Stems shallowly 2-lined or terete, eglandular; internodes 9-50(-75) mm, usually longer than leaves. Leaves sessile to shortly petiolate (especially lower ones); lamina (6)10-30 ´ (3-)5-15(-19) mm, broadly elliptic to obovate or ovate, paler beneath, not glaucous, plane, thinly chartaceous; apex rounded or rarely acute to apiculate-obtuse (Meghalaya), margin entire or (upper) sometimes basally or wholly reddish- to black-glandular-ciliate and with reddish- to black-glandular-ciliate auricles, base rounded to cordate; venation: 2-3 pairs of main laterals from lower third of midrib, with tertiary reticulation scarcely visible beneath, dense; laminar glands pale or rarely a few black, punctiform to striiform, varying in size; intramarginal glands dense or irregular, black. Inflorescence 1-c. 50-flowered, from 1-2(3) nodes, the whole laxly corymbiform or broadly pyramidal to capitate-cylindric or bifurcated; pedicels 2-3 mm; bracts and bracteoles ovate or lanceolate to linear, with black-glandular-ciliate margin and auricles, persistent. Flowers 5-8(-11) mm in diam., stellate; buds ellipsoid, subacute. Sepals 5, 2.5-5(-6) ´ 1.5-3 mm, equal, narrowly to broadly oblong or elliptic, acute to obtuse, glandular-ciliate to -laciniate or very rarely entire; veins 3(5), unbranched; laminar glands all pale or some black, linear to punctiform, scattered; marginal glands reddish to black, on cilia, sometimes alternating with intramarginal black gland dots, or very rarely all intramarginal. Petals 5, bright yellow, not tinged red in bud, 3-5 ´ 1.2-1.6 mm, c. 1-1.2 ´ sepals, elliptic-oblong, rounded to acute, margin entire or apically glandular-ciliate, laminar glands absent, marginal glands black, few, distal and subapical, sessile. Stamens c. 7-11, '3'-fascicled, longest 2.5-4 mm, c. 0.8-0.9 ´ petals; anther gland black. Ovary 1-locular, 1.5- 3 ´ c. 1 mm, ovoid to globose; styles 3, 1.5-2-5 mm, 0.9-1 ´ ovary, divergent; stigmas narrowly capitate. Capsule 3-4.5(-6) ´ c. 3-4 mm, broadly ovoid to subglobose, equalling or slightly exceeding sepals; valves with c. 7-9 longitudinal vittae. Seeds brown, c. 0.5 mm; testa finely scalariform.
Grassy slopes, open woodland, streamsides, marshes, roadsides and rice paddy terraces; 750-3300 m.
China (south - Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xizang), Laos (north), Thailand (north), Myanmar (Kachin, Chin, Shan), NE. India (Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, W. Benghal, Sikkim), Bhutan, S. India (Tamil Nadu) and Sri Lanka.
H. wightianum is clearly closely related to 7. H. daliense and has apparently spread from south-east China westward to Sikkim and south-westward to western Myanmar and Mizoram. It then reappears in the south Indian hills and in Sri Lanka. Morphological variation follows these trends:-
(1) The erect to basally decumbent form extends along the Himalaya and also occurs in Meghalaya, Myanmar and the Nilgiri Hills. It has sessile leaves, the upper ones having near-basal glandular cilia and glandular auricles.
(2) In Thailand form (1) gives rise to a decumbent form with slender stems and shortly petiolate leaves, the inflorescence being a small version of that of form (1).
(3) A form similar to (2) occurs in South India (Kodaikanal), except that the leaves vary from sessile to petiolate. This gives rise to a form in the Anaimallai and Nilgiri Hills with petiolate entire leaves and entire sepals and bracts (e.g. Beddome 388) ("H. rubrum"or "H. humifusum" of Indian Floras). One of these Anaimallai specimens (Beddome 386) has sessile leaves.
All these variations are continuous. The form that is most similar to 6. H daliense occurs in Khasiya (Meghalaya).