Montane, subalpine. Wet areas. Summer.
Haviland Lake Trail, June 28, 2004.

This slim and unobtrusive plant is easily found when it is in bloom, for the flowers are very bright.  Leaves are short and opposite and the plant grows to be about a foot tall and it is often hidden in the lushness of wet areas.

This is a close relative of the noxious weed (and widely sold supplement which is a supposed mood enhancer), Hypericum perforatum which has caused massive agricultural damage and in the past few decades has severely invaded Colorado.  H. perforatum also has been the subject of a number of National Institutes of Health studies revealing its dangerous affects on human health.

"Hypericum" is the ancient Greek name for the plant (it is a European invader in the United States) and "formosum" is Latin for "graceful, beautiful".

Montane, subalpine. Wet areas. Summer.
Haviland Lake Trail, June 28, 2004.

Numerous stamens are upright in freshly opened flowers but relax into a lovely starburst as the flower ages. 

Montane, subalpine. Wet areas. Summer.
Haviland Lake Trail, June 28, 2004.