Shrubs, 0.75-1 m tall; branches erect to arching. Stems shallowly 4-lined and sometimes ancipitous when young, soon 2-lined to terete; internodes 1-2.5(-5.5) cm, usually shorter than leaves. Leaves with petiole 0.5-2 mm; blade narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 2.5-5.8 × 0.7-2.3 cm, thickly papery, abaxially ± densely glaucous; laminar glands long (in lower leaves) to short streaks; abaxial glands rather sparse; main lateral veins 2- or 3-paired, all branches clearly visible and forming undulating intramarginal vein, tertiary reticulation nearly invisible; base cuneate, apex acute to subacute. Inflorescence 1-4-flowered, from apical node, nearly flat-topped; bracts reduced, linear-lanceolate, persistent. Pedicels 7-10(-25) mm. Flowers 4-5 cm in diam., stellate; buds narrowly ovoid, apex subapiculate. Sepals ± outcurved in bud, spreading in fruit, narrowly elliptic, subequal to unequal, 7-11(-20) × 2.5-5(-8) mm; laminar glands lines, sometimes interrupted, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate. Petals golden yellow, sometimes tinged red, obovate-oblanceolate, 2-2.5 × 1.2-1.5 cm, (1.5-) 2.5-3 × as long as sepals; margin entire, eglandular; apiculus acute to obtuse. Stamen fascicles each with ca. 50 stamens, longest 1.2-1.5 cm. ca. 3/5 as long as petals. Ovary ovoid-conic, 7-8 × 3.5-5 mm; styles 6-8 mm, 0.85-1 × as long as ovary, free, outcurved near apex. Capsule narrowly ovoid, 1.2-1.5 cm × 7-10 mm. Seeds dark brown, 1-1.5 mm, carinate; testa linear-reticulate to linear-foveolate. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Sep.

Hypericum maclarenii is a local species that may be recognized by: (1) the narrow, apically acute leaves with looped venation clearly visible abaxially against a whitish background and (2) the narrow, apically acute, outcurving sepals.

● Steep rocky banks; 1800-2900 m. W Sichuan.