Hypericum Anagalloides, Tinker's-penny

Day 244: The genus Hypericum contains almost 500 species, all of which..."ALL," I said...can be referred to by the common name "St. John's wort," and if that doesn't convince you of the value of specific taxonomic epithets, nothing will. Hypericum anagalloides is one of the smallest, and is native to western North America where it is commonly called "Tinker's-penny" or "Creeping St. John's wort" (a term which may also apply to another Hypericum species). It can be found in bogs and mountain meadows as a dense mat no more than two inches high, its bright yellow flowers hidden among chartreuse-green foliage. Ironically, the second half of its Latin binomial has its roots in Greek: "ana" meaning "again" and "-agallein," "to delight in," referring to the fact that the flowers close at night and re-open the following day.

Hypericum Anagalloides, Tinker's Penny

Day 263: Local field guides may refer to Hypericum anagalloides (Tinker's Penny) as "common," but it is not often found in Mount Rainier National Park. It was only by chance that we discovered it while searching for the Fungus of Worldwide Concern (FOWC), several small patches almost entirely hidden by the dominant sedge. As its scientific name implies, it is a member of the same genus as common St. John's Wort, but unlike its weedy roadside cousin, it is native to the state. It is a tiny plant with stems no more than 8 cm. long and blossoms ca. 4 mm and so intensely yellow that they put buttercups to shame. Unfortunately, your correspondent neglected to place her reference penny beside the Tinker's Penny for comparison, thoroughly distracted by the FOWCs and the need to document them for posterity.