Hypericum scopulorum (Nomenclature)
Shrub 0.3-c. 1 .3 m tall, much branched, flat-topped, with branches erect to ascending; wholly glabrous or (especially upper) pruinose to whitish-puberulous beneath; dark glands absent. Stems persistently 4(6)-lined; cortex reddish?; bark finely ribbed. Leaves opposite, free, sessile or rarely petiolate with petiole up to 2 mm long; lamina 10-27 x 6-12(-17) mm, elliptic to oblong, paler beneath, densely glaucous on both sides, coriaceous; apex subapiculate-obtuse to rounded, margin plane to subincrassate, base narrowly cuneate to subangustate; venation: 4-6 pairs of laterals, closed or lower 1-2 pairs free, without cross-veins; laminar glands dense, not or slightly prominent on both sides, intramarginal glands dense. Inflorescence 1 (2)-flowered, terminal and from axils of older leaves of current shoot; bracts foliar, bracteoles lanceolate to linear-subulate, deciduous; pedicels 3-8 mm long, slender. Flowers 10-14 mm in diam.; buds narrowly ellipsoid, acute. Sepals 5-6.5 x 1-1.3 mm, free or very shortly connate, distally outcurving in fruit, ensiform, acute, coriaceous, margin entire; veins 7, slightly prominent; laminar glands punctiform. Petals golden yellow to orange yellow (old?), not tinged red, 6-7 x 2-3 mm, 1.1-1.2 x sepals, oblong-oblanceolate, rounded. Stamens c. 30, longest c. 3.5 mm, c. 0.5 x petals. Ovary c. 1.3 x 0.6 mm, narrowly ellipsoid, obtuse; styles 2-3.5 mm long, 2- 3 x ovary, curved-ascending. Capsule c. 4 x 3.5 mm, broadly ellipsoid, obtuse, subcoriaceous (enclosed by old, distally twisted petals), with valves longitudinally vittate, shorter than sepals. Seeds dark brown, 1.3-1.6 mm long; testa foveolate-reticulate.
High-altitude thicket on rocky or grassy slopes; 775-1322 m.
Socotra (Hagghiher Mts).
Of the three endemic Socotran Triadenioid species, H. scopulorum has the most primitive leaves (glabrous and mostly sessile); but it is less woody than H.fierense, and the inflorescence and fruit are more reduced. According to the label of Smith & Lavranos 446, it is associated with Croton eleagnoides Balf. f.