Hypericum coris (Nomenclature)
Low shrub with stems slender, 0.1–0.4 m long, ascending, creeping and rooting from woody branching base, with or without short axillary shoots from some or all nodes. Stem (3)4(5)-lined, eglandular; internodes 4–35 mm, shorter than to exceeding leaves. Leaves (3)4(5)-verticillate, sessile to 0.5 mm petiolate, glaucous beneath, 4–20 × 0.7–2 mm, linear to rarely linear-oblanceolate, apex shortly apiculate to rounded, margin nearly always revolute, base parallel to subparallel, 1-veined; laminar glands pale, rather dense, punctiform; intramarginal glands not seen. Inflorescence (1–)3–c. 20-flowered, from 1–3 nodes, lax, broadly cylindric to broadly pyramidal or subcorymbiform, 15–65 mm long, without subsidiary branches; bracts reduced-foliar; bracteoles linear to oblong, sparsely to densely fringed, with sessile globose black glands. Flowers 13–20 mm in diam.; buds globose. Sepals subequal to usually equal, free or almost so, not imbricate, 3–4 × 0.8–1.4 mm, oblong to elliptic-oblong, rounded; veins 3, not prominent; margin with sessile globose black glands; laminar glands pale, linear. Petals yellow, not tinged red, persistent, 8–12 × 2.5–3.5 mm, c. 3 × sepals, narrowly oblanceolate; marginal glands absent; laminar glands pale, narrow, striiform. Stamens c. 30–35, longest 7–11 mm, persistent. Ovary 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm, ellipsoid to ovoid; styles 6–8 mm, 3–4 × ovary. Capsule 5–8 × 4–4.5 mm, ovoid, valves with narrow dorsal vittae and oblique + swollen lateral vesicles. Seeds mid brown, c. 1.7 mm long, curved-cylindric, minutely papillose.
2n = 18 (Reynaud, 1975; Löve & Löve, 1982); n = 9 (Nielsen, 1924).
Sunny calcareous rocks; 120–2000 m.
Western Alps (eastern Switzerland; extreme southeastern France; northern Italy).
There is relatively little variation in H. coris apart from an occasional change in leaf number in each whorl. It is superficially similar to 1. asperuloides, but is more specialised in its capsule vittae pattern and papillose seeds. Both the Spanish (H. ericoides) and Aegean (H. empetrifolium sensu lato) populations of sect. Coridium appear to be directly or indirectly related to it.