Hypericum Scouleri, Western St John's Wort

The thick, green, hairless stems of hypericum scouleri grow close together and branch freely, forming large clumps with dozens of flower heads. Flowers have five yellow petals (half an inch long), whose edges are lined with dark dots and sometimes tiny teeth; underneath are five pointed, parallel-veined green sepals, about half as long. A dense cluster of yellow styles (3) and yellow stamens (75 to 100) lies at the center, the latter topped by anthers that become brown when mature. The plant inhabits moist locations in mountainous areas, from the foothills to the Alpine zone.