Herbs erect, with rooting, creeping base, 3–6.5 dm. Stems: internodes 4-lined at first, soon 2-lined, with black glands on or near lines. Leaves spreading, sessile; blade ovate to oblong or lanceolate, 33–65 × 15–27 mm, base cordate to truncate or broadly cuneate, margins plane, apex obtuse to rounded, midrib with 4–5 pairs of branches, <tertiary veins densely reticulate toward margins>, black glands intramarginal (dense) and, sometimes, laminar (scattered). Inflorescences subcorymbiform, (2–)5–14(–22)-flowered, <subsidiary branches sometimes narrowly ascending or curved-ascending>. Flowers 20–25(–30) mm diam.; sepals not imbricate, erect in fruit, lanceolate, subequal, 5–7.5(–11) × 1–3 mm, apex acute; petals golden yellow, narrowly obovate, 11–18 mm; stamens 50–90(–103); anther gland black; styles 5.6–12 mm. Capsules broadly ovoid, 5–8 × 3.5–5 mm, with longitudinal vittae. Seeds not carinate, 0.8–1.1 mm; testa linear-reticulate. 2n = 16.

Flowering summer (Jun–Aug). Open or partly shaded, moist habitats, dry, rocky roadside banks; 1200–2100 m; N.C., Tenn.

The chromosome count of n = 16 by Adams (in N. K. B. Robson and W. P. Adams 1968) is now regarded as an error; see D. E. Culwell (1970).

Hypericum graveolens is a relict species with close relatives in Japan; it hybridizes with H. ×mitchellianum and, probably, also with H. punctatum.