Hypericum assamicum

Hypericum assamicum is an erect, perennial or suffruticose (woody at the base) herb {{cvt|20–40|cm}} tall. The stems are terete with internodes {{cvt|2–6.5|mm|1}}, shorter than or exceeding the leaves. The oblong to oblanceolate leaves are perfoliate, in pairs, thinly papery, up to {{cvt|50|mm}} long and {{cvt|15|mm}} broad, with glaucous undersides and obtuse to rounded tips. The margin of the leaf is entire, or rarely glandular-crenate, with dense, black glands. The leaves have broadly cuneate or rounded leaf bases. The flowerheads produce 12–18 flowers in corymbiform or subpyramidal branching patterns. Each flower is approximately {{cvt|12|mm}} with 5 sepals, 5 yellowish petals, and approximately 15 stamens. The cylindric to subglobose fruiting capsules reach {{cvt|6|mm}} in length with reddish-brown seeds, each seed {{cvt|0.8|mm}} long. It flowers and fruits between March and April.

Hypericum assamicum was described in 1971 by Samarendra Nath Biswas in Webbia, Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Geography. The type specimen was collected in Nowgong (now Nagaon), Assam, India in July 1848. It was named for its type locality, Assam, India.

It is placed in the section Hypericum sect. Sampsonia, along with Hypericum sampsonii, based on the combination of perfoliate leaves and vesicular-glandular capsule valves. Hypericum assamicum is distinguished from H. sampsonii by its leaves that are shortly connate-perfoliate at the base (vs. broadly perfoliate bases), spatulate-oblong unequal sepals (vs. oblong subequal sepals), petals shorter than the sepals (vs. petals as long as the sepals), ovaries with 3-parietal placentas (vs. 3-celled with an axile placenta), and subglobose to oblong capsules with rounded or obtuse apices (vs. ovoid capsules with narrowed to acute apices). The closest population of H. sampsonii to H. assamicum is approximately {{cvt|850|km}} away.

Hypericum assamicum is endemic to eastern India. A 1915 collection noted that it was "common in jungles". It occurs at altitudes up to {{cvt|1200|m}} in riparian areas, open grasslands, roadsides, agricultural fields, and fallow places in the eastern Himalayas.

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite journal |last1=Biswas |first1=S. N. |title=Hypericum assamicum S. N. Biswas (Hypericaceae) A new species from eastern Himalaya |journal=Webbia |date=January 1971 |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=671–674 |doi=10.1080/00837792.1971.10669945|bibcode=1971Webbi..25..671B }}

{{cite journal |last1=Butola |first1=Jitendra |last2=Pant |first2=Shreekar |last3=Samant |first3=S |title=Diversity, Distribution and Indigenous Uses of the Hypericum Species in Indian Himalayan Region |journal=Ethnobotanical Leaflets |date=2007|volume = 11|issue=1 |url=https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ebl/vol2007/iss1/4/}}

{{cite journal |title=Descriptions of four new plants from southern China |journal=Journal of Botany, British and Foreign |date=1865 |volume=3 |pages=378–379 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/54457#page/397/mode/1up |access-date=2018-11-06 |language=en}}

{{Cite web|url=http://hypericum.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/717/descriptions|title=Hypericum assamicum S.N.Biswas Descriptions|website=hypericum.myspecies.info|access-date=2018-11-06}}

{{cite web |title=Hypericum assamicum S.N.Biswas|url=https://beta.ipni.org/n/433214-1|website=ipni.org |publisher=International Plant Names Index|access-date=2018-11-06}}

{{cite web|title=Hypericum assamicum S.N.Biswas|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:433214-1

|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=Royal Botanical Gardens Kew |access-date=2018-11-06}}

}}

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assamicum

Category:Flora of Assam (region)

Category:Plants described in 1971