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Key to Hypericum, Key C: shrubby St. John's-worts with broader leaves (mostly lanceolate or oblanceolate) and flowers with 5 petals and 5 sepals

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Show caption*© Scott Ward 1 Leaves cordate-clasping at the base, ovate, averaging about 2× as long as wide; [of s. SC southward]; shrub wandlike or branched, becoming corky-thickened below; [Coastal Plain, se. SC south to s. FL, west to s. MS]; [section Myriandra, subsection Brathydium]  Hypericum myrtifolium

1 Leaves cuneate at the base, oblanceolate, oblong, elliptic, or narrowly elliptic, 2.5-10× as long as wide; shrub prolifically bushy-branched when well-developed, with thin bark; [collectively widespread]; [section Myriandra, subsection Centrosperma].

2 Leaves mostly narrowly oblanceolate, the larger 2-3 cm long, 2-5 (-7) mm wide, mostly 5-10× as long as wide; seeds 0.4-0.8 mm long, dark brown  Hypericum galioides

2 Leaves mostly oblong, elliptic, narrowly elliptic, or broadly oblanceolate, the larger (2-) 3-7 cm long, 1-15 mm wide, mostly 2.5-7.5× as long as wide; seeds 0.8-1.5 mm long, amber to medium or dark brown.

3 Flowers solitary, terminal (or in 3-flowered terminal cymes); petals 10-20 mm long; sepals 7-15 mm long; shrubs to 1 m tall  Hypericum frondosum

3 Flowers (1-) 3-many in terminal cymes; petals 5-10 mm long; sepals 1.5-8 mm long; shrubs to 3 m tall.

4 Flowers (1-) 3-7 per inflorescence; capsules (6-) 7-14 mm long; larger leaves (4-) 7-14 mm wide  Hypericum prolificum

4 Flowers 7-many per inflorescence; capsules (3-) 4.5-7 mm long; larger leaves 1-10 (-14) mm wide.

5 Styles and carpels (3-) 5; mature capsule deeply lobed (with longitudinal deep grooves); sepals with 3-7 basal veins  Hypericum lobocarpum

5 Styles and carpels 3 (-5); mature capsule not deeply lobed; sepals with 1-3 basal veins.

6 Leaves (1.8-) 2.8-8.3 (-11) mm wide, the widest on a plant always over 4 mm wide; [widespread]  Hypericum densiflorum

6 Leaves 1.0-3.7 (-4.1) mm wide; [of the Ridge and Valley of nw. GA, c. and nw. AL, and e. TN]  Hypericum interior