Hypericum austroyunnanicum L. H. Wu & D. P. Yang

In most respects Hypericum austroyunnanicum falls within the range of variation of H. elodeoides; but, discounting the ternate leaves (a character that is rarely species-specific in the genus), the small flowers with ovate sepals and short styles would seem to distinguish it from that species.

Herbs, perennial, erect from short rooting base, ca. 30 cm tall; stems several, not branched below inflorescence. Stems terete, eglandular. Leaves sessile, 3-whorled; blade oblong-lanceolate, 1.5-3 × 0.5-1 cm, ?thickly papery; laminar glands pale, dense; intramarginal glands black, sparse; main lateral veins 2- or 3-paired; base subcordate-amplexicaul, asymmetric, the upper with densely glandular-ciliate auricles, margin entire, apex obtuse. Inflorescence 16-flowered, from terminal node, corymbiform-subglobose, with flowering branches from one node below; bracts and bracteoles oblong-lanceolate, with margin and auricles black-glandular-ciliate. Pedicel ca. 5 mm. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam. Sepals erect, ?subequal, ovate, 3.5-5 × 1-2 mm, glandular-ciliate; laminar glands ?pale; marginal glands black, on cilia and a few sessile or submarginal; apex acute; veins 5. Petals oblong, 4-5 × 1-2 mm; laminar glands pale; marginal glands black, distal, sessile; margin entire. Stamens 10-13, apparently 3-fascicled, longest 3-4 mm, 0.75-0.8 × as long as petals. Ovary 3-loculed, ovoid, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm; styles 3, outcurving, ca. 1.7 mm, ca. 0.8 × as long as ovary. Capsule ovoid, ca. 4 × 3 mm, ca. as long as sepals; valves laxly longitudinally vittate. Seeds blackish brown, ca. 0.5 mm; testa linear-pitted. Fl. & fr. Aug.

W Yunnan.

● Roadsides and dry waste places; 1600-1700 m.