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posted: March 31st, 2015 |
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This page begins with March 22nd and our 108th climb of Mt. Takao - but our first climb of it in 2015. We also climbed Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro Yama - for the 53rd time. We were, of course, in search of spring flowers. We were not disappointed - we found many of them, as you will see below. The weather was extremely hazy, so there are no scenery shots at all. We end this page just before our descent - via the Hikage Creek forest road, so this page ends at 12:12 PM and the following page will continue from 1:06 PM. The time interval is nearly an hour due to the fact that we stopped and ate our lunch at the summit of Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro Yama. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin March 22nd |
Well, as the header information tells you - the photos in this row were taken as we climbed Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 ft) for the 108th time. All 3 shots in this row feature nice shots of Viola bissetii.
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 Mar22_01_MtTakao_ Viola_bissetiiRC |
 Mar22_03_MtTakao_ Viola_bissetiiRC |
 Mar22_04_MtTakao_ Viola_bissetiiRC |
In this row we show you 2 different species of violets - Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana in first position and then an amazingly pink flower of Viola eizanensis in 2nd and 3rd position.
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 Mar22_10_MtTakao_Viola_ tokubuchiana_var_takedanaRC |
 March22nd_Takao010_ ViolaEizanensisRC |
 March22nd_Takao012_ ViolaEizanensisRC |
Click the above button for a Special Page dedicated to most of the Violets which we have identified with confidence. |
In this row are 3 additional shots of that same Viola eizanensis plant, flower and buds. Please understand that this is special because of its pink color - this species is most often white!
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 Mar22_14_MtTakao_ Viola_eizanensisRC |
 March22nd_Takao020_ ViolaEizanensisRC |
 Mar22_17_MtTakao_ Viola_eizanensisRC |
In this row are 3 shots of Omphalodes japonica. This is such a small flower that it's SO very difficult to get a good shot of it, and to date we have never gotten the "perfect" shot of it.
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 March22nd_Takao021 _OmphalodesJaponicaRC |
 March22nd_Takao023 _OmphalodesJaponicaRC |
 Mar22_29_MtTakao_ Omphalodes_japonicaRC |
Here are 3 images of Asarum sp. The first image is a portion of the 2nd image (the portion which is outlined). The 3rd image is a separate photo. Weird flower, wouldn't you say?
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 Mar22_23Part_Mt Takao_Asarum_spRC |
 Mar22_23_MtTakao _Asarum_spRC |
 Mar22_24_MtTakao _Asarum_spRC |
In this row are shots of 3 different species. In first position is an additional shot of Omphalodes japonica, in the center is a shot of Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana - which we only saw 2 or 3 of on this date - and on the right is a shot of Viola grypoceras, which you'll see more of in the next rows.
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 Mar22_31_MtTakao_ Omphalodes_japonicaRC |
 Mar22_44_MtTakao_Viola_ tokubuchiana_var_takedanaRC |
 March22nd_Takao025_ ViolaGrypocerasRC |
Here is the final shot of Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana which you'll see from this date. Then in 2nd and 3rd position are more photos of Viola grypoceras - our most common violet in this area.
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 March22nd_Takao030_Viola TokubuchianaVarTakedanaRC |
 March22nd_Takao032_ ViolaGrypocerasRC |
 Mar22_47_MtTakao_ Viola_grypocerasRC |
In first position in this row is a final shot of Viola grypoceras and that's followed by 2 shots of an Earth Star Fungus, either a Geastrum sp. or an Astraeus sp., we are not sure. Wikipedia says that the differences are microscopic, but doesn't say what those differences are - furthermore, we don't have a microscope, so even if they told us the differences, we wouldn't be able to find them. If you are surmising that the photo with 4 specimens is staged, you are correct. At first we found one specimen and photographed it, but then within a few meters we found 3 more of them, so we staged this photo. Four of them equals the number that I have seen in my entire life of 67 years, so I doubled the number I have seen in my lifetime on this outing, and now I've seen 8 of this weird little fungus.
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 Mar22_55_MtTakao_ Viola_grypocerasRC |
 Mar22_59_MtTakao _Geastrum_spRC |
 March22nd_Takao036 _AstraeusSpRC |
Here is a final shot of the Earth Star Fungus, either a Geastrum sp. or an Astraeus sp. and then 2 Orchid shots, specifically Cymbidium goeringii.
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 Mar22_66_MtTakao _Geastrum_spRC |
 March22nd_Takao035_ CymbidiumGoeringiiRC |
 Mar22_67_MtTakao_ Cymbidium_goeringiiRC |
In first and second position in this row are shots of Oxalis griffithii var. kantoensis and being an Oxalis it has a nice bite to it when you chew on the leaves. Don't eat too much of it though, what gives it the bite is Oxalic acid. In third position is a nice shot of Lindera obtusiloba.
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 March22nd_Takao037_Oxalis GriffithiiVarKantoensisRC |
 Mar22_71_MtTakao_Oxalis_ griffithii_var_kantoensisRC |
 Mar22_73_MtTakao_ YellowFlowerRC |
Here is a 2nd and final shot of Lindera obtusiloba and that is followed by a shot of Leibnitzia anandria, taken at 12:12 PM. Now we have arrived at the summit of Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro Yama (670 m = 2,199 ft) and we stopped and ate the lunch we brought with us and also bought a delicious bowl of Nameko Soup at the summit food stall. Nameko is a slippery mushroom and the shop here has some kind of secret recipe that makes it super delicious. Whenever we climb this mountain we like to eat a bowl of their Nameko soup.
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 March22nd_Takao038_ LinderaObtusilobaRC |
 March22nd_Takao041_ LeibnitziaAnandriaRC |
| End Page 2, but March 22nd Continues on Page 3 (at 1:06 PM) |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 3 for the continuation of today's adventures - beginning at 1:06 PM. |
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