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sharpleaf St. Johnswort

mountain St. John's wort

Habit Herbs perennial, erect, unbranched or branching at base and in inflorescence, 4–7.5(–10) dm. Shrubs, decumbent, spreading and rooting, wiry, branches ascending to erect, forming compact mats, 0.5–4.5 dm.
Stems

internodes 4-lined.

internodes 4-lined.

Leaves

(main stem) ascending to spreading, sessile;

blade lanceolate to oblong-elliptic or obovate, 10–30(–50) × 3–8(–12) mm, on main stem, longer than internodes, leathery, margins plane, apex usually acute to acuminate, rarely obtuse, basal veins 1–3+, midrib with 2–3 pairs of inconspicuous branches.

blades oblong or elliptic to obovate, 4–25 × 2–12 mm, base not articulated, cuneate, margins plane, apex rounded, midrib with 2–4 pairs of branches.

Inflorescences

broadly cylindric to corymbiform, 25–70-flowered, branching mostly dichasial, subsidiary branches with or without relatively smaller leaves.

1(–5)-flowered.

Flowers

8–13 mm diam.;

sepals narrowly ovate to lanceolate, equal, 3–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins sometimes ciliate, not setulose-ciliate, apex acute to acuminate;

petals orange-yellow, obovate, 6–10 mm;

stamens 50–80, irregularly grouped;

styles 2–4 mm;

stigmas capitate.

20–25 mm diam.;

sepals persistent, not enclosing capsule, 5, broadly elliptic to elliptic-spatulate or obovate, subequal, 4–5 × 2.5–3 mm;

petals 5, golden yellow, oblanceolate, 6–10.5 mm;

stamens persistent, 100;

ovary 3-merous.

Capsules

ovoid to rostrate-subglobose, 3–5 × 2–3 mm.

ovoid to ovoid-cylindric, 8–12 × 5 mm.

Seeds

(0.5–)0.6–0.8(–0.9) mm;

testa reticulate.

narrowly to broadly carinate, 1.5–2 mm;

testa finely foveolate-reticulate.

2n

= 24.

Hypericum virgatum

Hypericum buckleyi

Phenology Flowering mid–late summer (Jun–Sep). Flowering early–mid summer (Jun–Jul).
Habitat Dry roadsides, fields, open woods Seepage areas, moist rock crevices, ditches, road embankments
Elevation 0–700 m (0–2300 ft) 900–1600 m (3000–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MS; NC; OH; SC; TN; VA; WV
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; NC; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Hypericum buckleyi is found throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains.

The decumbent habit and persistent sepals and stamens distinguish Hypericum buckleyi from its nearest relative, H. prolificum.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 90. FNA vol. 6, p. 81.
Parent taxa Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Brathys Hypericaceae > Hypericum > sect. Myriandra
Sibling taxa
H. adpressum, H. anagalloides, H. apocynifolium, H. ascyron, H. boreale, H. brachyphyllum, H. buckleyi, H. canadense, H. canariense, H. chapmanii, H. cistifolium, H. concinnum, H. crux-andreae, H. cumulicola, H. densiflorum, H. denticulatum, H. dolabriforme, H. drummondii, H. edisonianum, H. ellipticum, H. erythreae, H. fasciculatum, H. frondosum, H. galioides, H. gentianoides, H. graveolens, H. gymnanthum, H. harperi, H. hypericoides, H. kalmianum, H. lissophloeus, H. lloydii, H. lobocarpum, H. maculatum, H. majus, H. microsepalum, H. mutilum, H. myrtifolium, H. nitidum, H. nudiflorum, H. paucifolium, H. perforatum, H. prolificum, H. pseudomaculatum, H. punctatum, H. radfordiorum, H. scouleri, H. setosum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. tetrapetalum, H. ×mitchellianum
H. adpressum, H. anagalloides, H. apocynifolium, H. ascyron, H. boreale, H. brachyphyllum, H. canadense, H. canariense, H. chapmanii, H. cistifolium, H. concinnum, H. crux-andreae, H. cumulicola, H. densiflorum, H. denticulatum, H. dolabriforme, H. drummondii, H. edisonianum, H. ellipticum, H. erythreae, H. fasciculatum, H. frondosum, H. galioides, H. gentianoides, H. graveolens, H. gymnanthum, H. harperi, H. hypericoides, H. kalmianum, H. lissophloeus, H. lloydii, H. lobocarpum, H. maculatum, H. majus, H. microsepalum, H. mutilum, H. myrtifolium, H. nitidum, H. nudiflorum, H. paucifolium, H. perforatum, H. prolificum, H. pseudomaculatum, H. punctatum, H. radfordiorum, H. scouleri, H. setosum, H. sphaerocarpum, H. suffruticosum, H. tenuifolium, H. tetrapetalum, H. virgatum, H. ×mitchellianum
Synonyms Brathys lanceolata, H. acutifolium, H. denticulatum subsp. acutifolium, H. denticulatum var. acutifolium, H. denticulatum var. recognitum, H. virgatum var. acutifolium
Name authority Lamarck: in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 4: 158. (1796) M. A. Curtis: Amer. J. Sci. Arts 44: 80. (1843)
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