Hypericum uralum Buch.- Ham. ex D. Don

Hypericum species are herbs, shrubs or small trees. Branchlets terete, bi or quadrangular, glabrous or pubescent with simple hairs. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate rarely whorled, lanceolate-obovate to elliptic-oblong, margins entire or gland fringed, apex acute to obtuse, leaf lamina containing red or black glands contain hypercin or pseudohypercin, transparent glands contain essential oils, petiole short or sessile, exstipulate. Inflorescence solitary or monochasial or dichasial terminal cymes or panicles, heterostylous or homostylous. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, pedicel short, bracteoles minute, caducous, sepals 5, quincuncial, or decussate when 4, equal or not, lanceolate-ovate, chartaceous, coriaceous, glandular punctate, persistent or caducous, petals 5 or 4, oblanceolate to obovate, yellow or greenish yellow, caducous or persistent. Stamens 1-120, free or in bundles or fascicles 3 to 5, free or united, antisepals, deciduous or persistent, anthers dorsifixed, yellow or reddish, connectives with usually with black amber gland. Ovary superior, globose, 1-5 locular, syncarpus, ovules many rarely few, axil placentation or pseudo central placentation, styles 3-5, free or united, stigma 3, capitate. Fruit capsule septicidal, ovoid-subglobose, when unilocular or indehiscent, dehiscing along placenta. Seeds 1-numerous, ellipsoid-cylindric, testa striated, winged or carinate, brown, embryo slender, erect.

Hypericum species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: July-October.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Shrubs, about 0.3-2.5 m tall. Stem slender, arching or ascending, caespitose or diffusely branched, 4 lined when young, becoming 2 lined and terete when mature, reddish brown to grayish brown, glabrous. Leaves simple, opposite, decussate, lanceolate-ovate, about 10-35 x 5-18 mm across, base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse to subacute, sometimes with minute apiculate tip, leaf lamina contain obscurely pellucid punctate black glands, sparsely above and densely beneath, somewhat fleshy, green glabrous above and paler glaucous beneath, midrib impressed above and prominent beneath, lateral veins about 3-4 on either side of the midrib, convergent at apex, veinlets obscure, petiole subsessile or about 0.5-1 mm long, exstipulate. Inflorescence solitary or few flowered from 1-2 nodes, terminal cymes or corymbs. Flowers bisexual, about 18-30 mm across, pedicel about 3-8 mm long, bracts caducous, sepals 5, oblong-elliptic, chartaceous, margins entire, glandular punctate with black glands, persistent, apex obtuse to subrotund, about 5-8 x 3.5-4.5 mm across, petals 5, obovate-suborbicular, yellow or golden yellow sometimes tinged with red, with few glandular glands marginal and intermarginal, veined prominently, caducous, about 10-18 x 6-12 mm across. Stamens 40-60 each, in bundles or fascicles 5, free, antisepals, filaments linear, filiform, glabrous, unequal, about 4-7 mm long, anthers dorsifixed, yellow or golden yellow, oblong, about 0.5-0.7 mm long. Ovary superior, globose, 3 locular, syncarpus, about 3-6 mm long, ovules many, axil placentation or pseudo central placentation, styles 5, free from the base, erect, curved near apex, about 3.5-6 mm long, stigma capitate. Fruit capsule septicidal, cylindric-obovoid or subglobose, about 7-11 x 6-10 mm long, apex obtuse, longitudinally vittate, with persistent style. Seeds numerous, oblong, about 0.5 mm long, testa reticulate-scalariform, slightly carinate, dark brown.

Hypericum species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Western Ghats, Cultivated, Native of Eurasia

Along streams and slopes of Himalayas, altitude 1500-3350 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.