Hypericum suffruticosum

W. B. Adams & N. Robson

Rhodora 63: 15. 1961.

Endemic
Basionym: Ascyrum pumilum Michaux Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 77. 1803,
Synonyms: A. pauciflorum Nuttall
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 86. Mentioned on page 74.

Shrubs, erect and branched from near base, forming cushion, or decumbent and matted, 0.5–2 dm. Stems: internodes 4-lined at first, soon 2-winged. Leaf blades elliptic or oblong-linear to narrowly obovate or oblanceolate, 3–10 × 1–3 mm, base not articulated, rounded to cuneate, without glandlike auricles, margins plane to subrecurved, apex obtuse, midrib unbranched. Inflorescences 1-flowered, often with pseudodichotomous branches from apical node, without proximal branches; pedicels mostly recurved to reflexed in fruit, bracteoles proximal. Flowers 10–15 mm diam.; sepals persistent, enclosing capsule, (2 or) 4, unequal, outer broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, 4–8 × 4–8 mm, apex obtuse to rounded, inner none or minute; petals 4, pale yellow, narrowly obovate, often unequal, 4–8 mm; stamens persistent, 30; ovary 2-merous. Capsules cylindric-ellipsoid, 3–5 × 2–3 mm. Seeds scarcely carinate, 1 mm; testa finely reticulate. 2n = 18.


Phenology: Flowering spring–early summer (Mar–Jun).
Habitat: Dry, open, sandy pinelands, coastal plain
Elevation: 0–200 m

Distribution

V6 143-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C.

Discussion

Hypericum suffruticosum is near the “cuneifolium” form of H. crux-andreae; it differs, among other things, by the two-merous ovary, the relatively small or absent inner sepals, the pedicels recurved or reflexed in fruit, and the cushion or matted habit.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.