Hypericum peplidifolium A.Rich.

Perennial herb, wiry or rarely woody, up to 0.6(-0.9) m tall but often much less, 0.1-0.9 m in diam., tufted, with branches ascending to prostrate, sometimes rooting at proximal nodes or budding from horizontal roots, rather slender. Stems wholly terete or sometimes slightly 2-lined above, eglandular or (in S. of range) black-gland-dotted. Leaves with petiole 0.5-1.5 mm long; lamina 3-26 x 2-20 mm, ovate to elliptic or obovate or rarely suborbicular, spreading; apex rounded to obtuse, margin plane, base rounded to cuneate; venation: 2-3 pairs of main lateral veins, branching to form rather inconspicuous tertiary reticulation; laminar glands pale and sometimes a few black, punctiform; intramarginal glands dense, black. Inflorescence 1-flowered, terminal, often with 1 or 2 flowering branches from uppermost 1 (2) nodes, branching rarely repeatedly pseudo-dichotomous; pedicels 4-40 mm long, reflexed in fruit. Flowers 8-15 mm in diam.; buds ovoid to ellipsoid, obtuse. Sepals 4-5 x 3-4 mm, imbricate, very unequal, the inner ones narrower, obovate to elliptic or oblong or lanceolate, obtuse or apiculate to rounded, entire; veins 3, branching and reticulating; laminar glands pale and occasionally some black, punctiform; inframarginal glands dense, all or mostly black. Petals bright to primrose yellow, often tinged red, 7-8(-14) x 2-4 mm, c. 1.7 x sepals, obovate; laminar glands pale or very rarely also black; marginal glands round most of margin, black, sometimes also submarginal. Stamens obscurely 3(4-5)-fascicled or irregular, 20-40(-60), longest 5-6 mm, c. 0.75 x petals; anther gland black. Ovary 2.4-3 x 1.4-1.9 mm, ovoid to broadly ellipsoid, acute to obtuse; styles 5(4), 2.5-4 mm long, c. 1-1.3 x ovary, divergent; stigmas scarcely capitate; placentae 5(4), axile. 'Capsule' bacciform, indehiscent, 6-11 x 5-9 mm, c. 2 x sepals, broadly ovoid to subglobose, smooth. Seeds yellowish brown, 0.6-0.8(-1) mm, not carinate; testa finely reticulate-scalariform. 2n = 16(1. &O. Hedberg, 1977).