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This is Page 1 of 3 - the best of June 2012!
posted: June 30th, 2012
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This page begins with June 1st and a trip to Nogawa Park, near our house. Then we proceed to June 2nd and a trip to and climb of Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 feet) in search of the Dendrobium moniliforme orchid. In Japanese this is called "Sekkoku". The English common name is the "Japanese Stone Orchid". Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin June 1st
  As it says above, on June 1st Kazuya and I went to Nogawa Park - easy bicycling distance from our apartment. We went into the fenced-in natural area and took a few photos. The first one here is a shot of Filipendula purpurea. The next 2 shots are of Neptis pryeri, which is a butterfly which is not normally found here in Tokyo. At least that's what a man told us who was also watching this creature flitting about. It's not a rare breed, merely something which was out of its normal range.
June01_03_NogawaPk_Filipendula_purpureaRC
June01_03_NogawaPk_
Filipendula_purpureaRC
June01_06_NogawaPk_Neptis_pryeriRC
June01_06_NogawaPk_
Neptis_pryeriRC
June01_09_NogawaPk_Neptis_pryeriRC
June01_09_NogawaPk_
Neptis_pryeriRC

  Here are 2 shots of Bletilla striata - an Orchid - and a shot of a white colored Swallowtail Butterfly. I searched for this species with Google, but could not find any images which precisely matched this one (probably Papilio machaon) any additional information would be appreciated.
June01_33_NogawaPk_Bletilla_striataRC
June01_33_NogawaPk_
Bletilla_striataRC
June01_34_NogawaPk_Bletilla_striataRC
June01_34_NogawaPk_
Bletilla_striataRC
June01_37_NogawaPk_White_Swallowtail_ButterflyRC
June01_37_NogawaPk_White_
Swallowtail_ButterflyRC
End June 1st, Begin June 2nd
  The next day, June 2nd, we went out and climbed Mt. Takao in search of the Dendrobium moniliforme Orchids (Sekkoku in Japanese). I finally found an English common name for this species - one site lists it as the Japanese Stone Orchid. You may already know that we attempt to go to Mt. Takao every year near the beginning of June to find this orchid. As always - we were successful! This species grows way up in the tallest and oldest Cedar Trees. That means that they are far away and you have to have a camera which can zoom pretty good to get close-up photos. My new Canon SX40-HS, with it's 35X Optical Zoom came in handy - the 4x Digital Zoom, which increases the zoom to 140X was nice too, but for the most part those 140x photos were not worth keeping. Oh, you can search for past years photos using the search box below. Notice that the 3rd shot in this row is the same as the first one, but zoomed in for a closer view.
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Jun02_06_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_06_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_01_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_01_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_07_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_07_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  Here are 3 more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). Note that the 2nd shot is the same as the 1st shot, merely zoomed in. The 3rd shot shows a nice Cedar branch with many flowers on it.
Jun02_12_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_12_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_14_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_14_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_24_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_24_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  The first 2 shots in this row also show increasingly zoomed in photos of the same flower group.
June2nd_MtTakao017RC
June2nd_
MtTakao017RC
Jun02_28_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_28_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_26_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_26_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  All 3 shots in this row show increasingly zoomed-in shots of the same area of flowers.
Jun02_31_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_31_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_32_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_32_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_33_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_33_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  Three more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). The 2nd shot should give you an idea of the scale of things here.
Jun02_38_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_38_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_39_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_39_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao025RC
June2nd_
MtTakao025RC

  And, here are 3 more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). The 3rd shot, again, may give you an idea of the scale of this area.
Jun02_42_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_42_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao027RC
June2nd_
MtTakao027RC
June2nd_MtTakao034RC
June2nd_
MtTakao034RC

  The first shot in this row will give you a small idea of the abundance of the Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid) in this valley, as well as an idea of the scale.
June2nd_MtTakao036RC
June2nd_
MtTakao036RC
Jun02_47_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_47_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_50_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_50_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  Three more orchid shots.
Jun02_51_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_51_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao044RC
June2nd_
MtTakao044RC
June2nd_MtTakao047RC
June2nd_
MtTakao047RC

  And, 2 more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). These are not the last of them.
Jun02_65_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_65_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao055RC
June2nd_
MtTakao055RC

  Here are 3 shots of Cremastra appendiculata - another Orchid. We found more of this species than we usually find here.
June2nd_MtTakao056RC
June2nd_
MtTakao056RC
Jun02_73_MtTakao_Cremastra_appendiculataRC
Jun02_73_MtTakao_
Cremastra_appendiculataRC
Jun02_71_MtTakao_Cremastra_appendiculataRC
Jun02_71_MtTakao_
Cremastra_appendiculataRC

  Here are 3 more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid).
Jun02_81_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_81_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_82_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_82_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_91_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_91_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  And ... 3 more shots. These 3 shots should all give you an idea of the scale.
June2nd_MtTakao076RC
June2nd_
MtTakao076RC
June2nd_MtTakao077RC
June2nd_
MtTakao077RC
June2nd_MtTakao079RC
June2nd_
MtTakao079RC

  The first shot here is a really zoomed-in shot which shows that these flowers can sometimes be a bit pinkish colored. The 2nd image is composed of 4 stitched together panorama images of one large branch of a tree. By the way, you can find a larger version of the center photo HERE (new window or tab) and you can also find a link to it on the "Special Items" Page. The 3rd shot is a photo of Helwingia japonica - a species in which the fruit grows up out of the center of the leaf. Back in 2005 I created a collage of photos showing several stages of the growth of this fruit. You can find it HERE (new window or tab).
Jun02_101_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_101_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_109_10_11_12_Panorama_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_109_10_11_12_Panorama_Mt
Takao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_116_MtTakao_Helwingia_japonicaRC
Jun02_116_MtTakao_
Helwingia_japonicaRC

  Here is one more shot of the Helwingia japonica leaf and fruit. Then there are 2 more shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). The 3rd shot shows a zoomed-in portion of the 2nd shot.
Jun02_121_MtTakao_Helwingia_japonicaRC
Jun02_121_MtTakao_
Helwingia_japonicaRC
Jun02_123_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_123_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_125_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_125_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC

  Here is another flower which we specifically came here to see today. This is the Pseudopyxis depressa f. angustiloba plant. We found more flowering specimens of this plant this year than we had ever found before.
Jun02_127_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_127_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis
_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_131_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_131_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis
_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_137_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_137_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis
_depressa_f_angustilobaRC

  Here are 3 more shots of Pseudopyxis depressa f. angustiloba. Notice that sometimes the flower has 5 petals and sometimes 6 petals.
June2nd_MtTakao114RC
June2nd_
MtTakao114RC
June2nd_MtTakao112RC
June2nd_
MtTakao112RC
June2nd_MtTakao118RC
June2nd_
MtTakao118RC

  The first shot here is a bit different than the previous 6 shots - it is a Pseudopyxis depressa, as is the 3rd shot in this row. The center shot is another example of the angustiloba form of Pseudopyxis depressa.
Jun02_148_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_148_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_154_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_154_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis
_depressa_f_angustilobaRC
Jun02_159_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_159_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressaRC

  Both shots in this row show examples of Pseudopyxis depressa - NOT the angustiloba form.
Jun02_166_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_166_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_169_MtTakao_Pseudopyxis_depressaRC
Jun02_169_MtTakao_
Pseudopyxis_depressaRC

  We were rather surprised to find some specimens of yet one more Orchid today. This is the Silver Orchid (Cephalanthera erecta). Unfortunately the flowers were not yet open and there were only about 4 plants.
Jun02_177_MtTakao_Cephalanthera_erectaRC
Jun02_177_MtTakao_
Cephalanthera_erectaRC
Jun02_179_MtTakao_Cephalanthera_erectaRC
Jun02_179_MtTakao_
Cephalanthera_erectaRC

  In this row are 3 images of Saxifraga stolonifera - The "Dai" Flower. The 3rd image is merely a cropped version of the center shot.
Jun02_180_MtTakao_Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC
Jun02_180_MtTakao_
Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC
Jun02_192_Orig_MtTakao_Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC
Jun02_192_Orig_MtTakao_
Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC
Jun02_192_Crop_MtTakao_Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC
Jun02_192_Crop_MtTakao_
Saxifraga_stoloniferaRC

  We were a bit surprised to find some more Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid) growing near the base of the mountain, as we descended. These were also quite low in the trees and therefore quite a bit closer to us. They were not especially abundant, but they were here!
June2nd_MtTakao145RC
June2nd_
MtTakao145RC
Jun02_198_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_198_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao147RC
June2nd_
MtTakao147RC

  And, here are the final 2 shots of Dendrobium moniliforme (Sekkoku in Japanese) (Japanese Stone Orchid). This flower is quite short lived, so we won't see any more until next year!
Jun02_202_MtTakao_Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
Jun02_202_MtTakao_
Dendrobium_moniliformeRC
June2nd_MtTakao151RC
June2nd_
MtTakao151RC
End June 2nd, End Page 1
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