Herbs (perennial), subshrubs, or shrubs; black glands absent. Leaves deciduous (base articulated) or persistent (base not articulated). Flowers 7–45 mm diam.; sepals deciduous or persistent, (2–)4–5; petals deciduous, (3–)4–5; stamens usually persistent, sometimes deciduous, 30–650, in continuous ring or in 4–5 barely discernable fascicles, each of 1–2 stamens; ovary 2–5-merous; placentation incompletely axile to parietal; styles ± appressed, bases distinct; stigmas minute. Seeds ± carinate or not.

Distribution

e North America, e Mexico, West Indies (Bahamas, Greater Antilles), Bermuda, Central America (Belize).

Discussion

Species 29 (28 in the flora).

Hypericum limosum Grisebach is endemic to western Cuba.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Hypericum adpressum, Hypericum apocynifolium, Hypericum brachyphyllum, Hypericum buckleyi, Hypericum chapmanii, Hypericum cistifolium, Hypericum densiflorum, Hypericum dolabriforme, Hypericum edisonianum, Hypericum ellipticum, Hypericum fasciculatum, Hypericum frondosum, Hypericum galioides, Hypericum hypericoides, Hypericum kalmianum, Hypericum lissophloeus, Hypericum lloydii, Hypericum lobocarpum, Hypericum microsepalum, Hypericum myrtifolium, Hypericum nitidum, Hypericum nudiflorum, Hypericum prolificum, Hypericum sphaerocarpum, Hypericum suffruticosum, Hypericum tenuifolium, Hypericum tetrapetalum

Key

1	Sepals enclosing capsule, (2–)4, unequal (outer pair larger) [subsect. Ascyrum]	> 2
1	Sepals not enclosing capsule, usually 5, if 3 or 4, usually subequal	> 6
2	Stamens 30–50; ovaries 2-merous	> 3
2	Stamens 70–100; ovaries 3(4)-merous	> 4
3	Leaf bases without glandlike auricles; inflorescences 1-flowered, pedicels mostly recurved to reflexed in fruit, bracteoles proximal.	Hypericum suffruticosum
3	Leaf bases with glandlike auricles; inflorescences 1–12-flowered, pedicels erect in fruit, bracteoles distal.	Hypericum hypericoides
4	Leaf bases cordate-amplexicaul; inflorescences terminal, branching (at apical node) pseudodichotomous	Hypericum tetrapetalum
4	Leaf bases usually cuneate to subrounded, rarely rounded to slightly subcordate-amplexicaul; inflorescences from 1–4 nodes, branching dichasial or pseudodichotomous	> 5
5	Leaves: bases without glandlike auricles, margins plane to subrecurved; inflorescences 1–3(–7)-flowered, branching dichasial; outer sepals: apices apiculate or obtuse to rounded	Hypericum crux-andreae
5	Leaves: bases with glandlike auricles, margins subrecurved to subincrassate; inflorescences 1-flowered, branching pseudodichotomous; outer sepals: apices acute to subacuminate	Hypericum edisonianum
6	Leaves: bases usually not articulated, if articulated (22. H. myrtifolium), subcordate-amplexicaul; stamens (all or some) usually persistent (deciduous in H. apocynifolium, H. myrtifolium, and H. dolabriforme)	> 7
6	Leaves: base articulated, not amplexicaul; stamens deciduous [subsect. Centrosperma]	> 16
7	Shrubs, decumbent, mat-forming, wiry; inflorescences 1(–5)-flowered [subsect. Pseudobrathydium].	Hypericum buckleyi
7	Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs, erect to ascending or decumbent, not mat-forming, not wiry; inflorescences (1–)3–70-flowered	> 8
8	Inflorescences widely branched; stamens 120–200 [subsect. Brathydium]	> 9
8	Inflorescences narrowly branched; stamens 30–95 [subsect. Suturosperma]	> 10
9	Shrubs, erect, unbranched or branched distally, bark corky; leaf blades oblong-ovate to triangular-lanceolate, (5–)7–20 mm wide, bases articulated, subcordate-amplexicaul.	Hypericum myrtifolium
9	Subshrubs, decumbent, ± branching, bark not corky (thin); leaf blades linear-elliptic or linear-oblong to linear, 3–5 mm wide, bases not articulated, narrowly cuneate to rounded.	Hypericum dolabriforme
10	Leaf blades (7–)10–25 mm wide; sepals deciduous or tardily deciduous; placentation incompletely axile	> 11
10	Leaf blades 1–10(–15) mm wide; sepals persistent; placentation parietal	> 12
11	Inflorescences terminal, (1–)3–5(–8)-flowered; sepals tardily deciduous, 1.5–2.3 mm wide; capsules 6–15 × 4.5–8 mm.	Hypericum apocynifolium
11	Inflorescences from 1–3 nodes, the terminal 7–45-flowered; sepals deciduous, 1–1.5 mm wide; capsules 3.5–7 × 3–5 mm.	Hypericum nudiflorum
12	Shrubs; leaf blades 1–3 mm wide; inflorescences 1–3-flowered; sepals (3–)4(–5).	Hypericum microsepalum
12	Herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs; leaf blades (1–)3–15 mm wide; inflorescences usually 7–70-flowered, if flowers 1–6, herbs; sepals usually 5	> 13
13	Shrubs; capsules ovoid-cylindric to broadly ovoid.	Hypericum cistifolium
13	Herbs or subshrubs; capsules usually broadly ovoid to depressed-globose, if ovoid-ellipsoid to ellipsoid or globose, rhizomatous herbs	> 14
14	Herbs or subshrubs, not or rarely rhizomatous; capsules broadly ovoid to depressed-globose; seeds 2–2.7 mm.	Hypericum sphaerocarpum
14	Herbs, rhizomatous; capsules ellipsoid to ovoid-ellipsoid or globose; seeds 0.6–0.7 mm	> 15
15	Herbs, 2–8 dm, relatively stout; leaf blades narrowly oblong or linear to lanceolate or narrowly elliptic.	Hypericum adpressum
15	Herbs, 1–3(–5) dm, relatively slender; leaf blades elliptic or oblanceolate to oblong-elliptic.	Hypericum ellipticum
16	Leaf blades usually elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, or oblong, (1–)3–22 mm wide; sepals usually elliptic, linear, oblanceolate, oblong, obovate, ovate, or spatulate	> 17
17	Inflorescences usually 1–3(–7+)-flowered from apical node, sometimes with single flowers at 1(–2) proximal nodes	> 18
17	Inflorescences usually (1–)3–25-flowered from apical node, sometimes with triads, dichasia, or flowering branches from 1–4 proximal nodes	> 19
18	Shrubs (6–)10–30 dm; leaf blades 8–22 mm wide, margins plane or subrecurved; sepals 4–10 mm wide; ovaries 3-merous.	Hypericum frondosum
18	Shrubs (1.4–)2–6(–10) dm; leaf blades 3–7(–10) mm wide, margins subrecurved to revolute; sepals 1.5–5 mm wide; ovaries (3–)5(–6)-merous.	Hypericum kalmianum
19	Stem internodes 4- or 6-lined at first; inflorescences cylindric or broadly to narrowly elongate-cylindric with 1–5(–7)-flowered lateral dichasia proximally; internodes 4-lined at first and capsules 7–13 mm or internodes 6-lined at first and capsules 4.5–6 mm	> 20
19	Stem internodes 4-lined at first; inflorescences shortly and broadly pyramidal or broadly cylindric to globose-cylindric, or obpyramidal with (2–)5–15-flowered lateral dichasia proximally; capsules 5–7 mm	> 21
20	Leaf blades 30–70 mm, narrowly oblong to narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate; flowers 15–30 mm diam.; placentation incompletely axile; capsules 7–13 mm; seeds 1.5–2 mm.	Hypericum prolificum
20	Leaf blades 15–32(–37) mm, narrowly oblong-elliptic or oblanceolate to linear; flowers 9–14 mm diam.; placentation parietal; capsules 4.5–6 mm; seeds 0.7–0.8 mm.	Hypericum galioides
21	Sepals: basal veins 3–7; ovaries (3–)4–5-merous; capsules notably lobed.	Hypericum lobocarpum
21	Sepals: basal veins 1–3; ovaries 3–4(–5)-merous; capsules not or scarcely lobed.	Hypericum densiflorum
22	Shrubs, erect, 3–45 dm	> 24
23	Leaf blades 13–25 mm; sepals (3–)4.5–7 mm.	Hypericum lloydii
23	Leaf blades 4–11 mm; sepals 2–4 mm.	Hypericum tenuifolium
24	Capsules usually cylindric, rarely narrowly conic or ovoid-conic; bark smooth, not metallic-silvery	> 25
24	Capsules ± narrowly ovoid-conic or pyramidal-ovoid to ovoid or ellipsoid; bark smooth and metallic-silvery or corky to spongy	> 26
25	Leaves 9–26 mm; styles shorter than ovaries; capsules (4.5–)5–7 mm.	Hypericum nitidum
25	Leaves 6–12 mm; styles longer than ovaries; capsules 3.5–5 mm.	Hypericum brachyphyllum
26	Bark smooth and metallic-silvery, exfoliating in thin, curled plates; styles 5 mm; seeds 1–1.6 mm; young stems, leaves, and sepals glaucous.	Hypericum lissophloeus
26	Bark corky to spongy, exfoliating in thin, papery sheets or plates; styles 2.5–4 mm; seeds 0.4–0.8 mm; young stems, leaves, and sepals not glaucous	> 27
27	Stems: internodes 6-lined at first, soon 2-winged, then terete; bark smooth; terminal inflorescence (3–)7–32-flowered.	Hypericum fasciculatum
27	Stems: internodes 4-lined at first, soon 4-angled, then terete; bark striate; terminal inflorescence 1–3-flowered.	Hypericum chapmanii