posted: May 31st, 2013 |
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This page begins with May 16th when Kazuya takes you to Mt. Mitake again to see those Paeonia japonica plants in bloom. Then we jump to May 18th and we go together to Mt. Mitake and see the Paeonia japonica for the final time, in addition to other things.   Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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Begin May 16th |
  On Thursday, May 16th, Kazuya did not have to work, so he took a trip to Mt. Mitake to check on the progress of those Paeonia japonica plants and flower buds which we showed you near the bottom of the previous page. The first thing in this row is a Veronica miqueliana in bloom. That is followed by 2 shots of Paeonia japonica - Kazuya caught it right at the absolute peak of beauty. On the night of the 16th it rained pretty hard, so it destroyed some of the flowers. He was so fortunate to have decided to go and look again on his Thursday off from work! |
May16th_MtMitake003 _VeronicaMiquelianaRC |
May16th_MtMitake007 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May16th_MtMitake019 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
  Here are 3 more shots of Paeonia japonica. This is an endangered species in Japan, primarily due to plant thieves who think it will look better in their yards than it does here in the forest! It's so sad. For this reason we never say where we find it. If you are fortunate enough to find this flower in your wanderings in the forest, please leave it where you find it so that other people might be able to come and experience the thrill of finding it too. |
May16th_MtMitake034 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May16th_MtMitake028 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May16th_MtMitake036 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
  And here are 3 more shots of this large clump of Paeonia japonica. It is so fortunate that this clump of these plants is quite a distance from the trail. We discovered it by accident one year when we saw some "snow balls" down the slope from us. We were curious enough to go and investigate and this is the clump which we found. We could not find it last year, but this year Kazuya searched diligently and found it again. |
May16th_MtMitake040 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May16th_MtMitake050 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May16th_MtMitake064 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
  Here are 2 shots of Meehania urticifolia - an interesting plant with hairy flowers. The 3rd shot is the final one of Paeonia japonica for this date. |
May16th_MtMitake077 _MeehaniaUrticifoliaRC |
May16th_MtMitake078 _MeehaniaUrticifoliaRC |
May16th_MtMitake086 _PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
  Here are the 2 final shots of May 16th and Kazuya's trip to Mt. Mitake - these show a Scrophularia musashiensis in bloom. |
May16th_MtMitake100_ ScrophulariaMusashiensisRC |
May16th_MtMitake101_ ScrophulariaMusashiensisRC |
End May 16th, Begin May 18th |
  On Saturday, May 18th, Kazuya and I went to Mt. Mitake together so that I could see the Paeonia japonica this year. These first 3 shots show the beautiful Wisteria at the top of the Cable Car on Mt. Mitake. |
May18_005_ Mitake_WisteriaRC |
May18_010_ Mitake_WisteriaRC |
May18_008Crop_ Mitake_WisteriaRC |
  As we ascended up to the peak from the Cable Car we found this area with an abundance of Azalea (Rhododendron kaempferi) in bloom. We seemed to have found it at its peak of flowering this year. The first shot in this row shows a clump with bushes showing 3 different colors of flowers. The 2nd shot - out of chronological sequence for portrait mode/landscape mode balance - is a Silver Orchid (Cephalanthera erecta). The 3rd shot shows the red-flowered Azalea which is on the right side of the clump in the first shot in this row. |
May18_012_ Mitake_AzaleaRC |
May18th_MtMitake004_ CephalantheraErectaRC |
May18_013_ Mitake_AzaleaRC |
  The first shot in this row shows a closer photo of the center bush from the 1st photo in the previous row and the 2nd shot shows a closer photo of the left bush in the 1st photo in the previous row. The 3rd shot shows a bush with orange colored flowers. |
May18_014_ Mitake_AzaleaRC |
May18_015_ Mitake_AzaleaRC |
May18th_MtMitake006_ RhododendronKaempferiRC |
  Here are 2 additional shots of the Silver Orchid - Cephalanthera erecta - and those are followed by a shot of a shelter in this area. |
May18_022_Mitake_ Cephalanthera_erectaRC |
May18_023_Mitake_ Cephalanthera_erectaRC |
May18_027_ Mitake_SceneRC |
  Here are 3 final shots of the Silver Orchid (Cephalanthera erecta). Enjoy, because this is the last time you'll see it until next year. |
May18th_MtMitake018_ CephalantheraErectaRC |
May18th_MtMitake016_ CephalantheraErectaRC |
May18_036_Mitake_ Cephalanthera_erectaRC |
  The first shot in this row is a scenic shot of some peak which we could see from the trail. That is followed by 2 shots of Paeonia japonica - the Wild Japanese Peony. You can clearly see that it is past its peak at this time. |
May18_041FRM_ Mitake_SceneryRC |
May18th_MtMitake024_ PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May18_047_Mitake_ Paeonia_japonicaRC |
  Here are 2 more shots of Meehania urticifolia, brighter day and different angle than the shots shown above. The 3rd shot is another of the Wild Japanese Peony - Paeonia japonica. |
May18_055_Mitake_ Meehania_urticifoliaRC |
May18_056_Mitake_ Meehania_urticifoliaRC |
May18th_MtMitake044_ PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
  Here are the final 2 shots of the Wild Japanese Peony - Paeonia japonica. Hopefully we'll be able to find this clump of plants again next year - and more importantly --- hopefully it won't be discovered by plant thieves and it will still be here next year! In 3rd position is a shot of a very large clump of Sedum sp. down by a small creek. |
May18th_MtMitake050_ PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May18th_MtMitake053_ PaeoniaJaponicaRC |
May18th_MtMitake058 _SedumSubtileRC |
  Here is another shot of the same group of Scrophularia musashiensis which you saw on May 16th (Row #5). That is followed by 2 more shots of the same clump of Sedum sp. as shown in the previous row. The center shot shows an overview of the location of this Sedum sp. clump. |
May18_087_Mitake_ Scrophularia_musashiensisRC |
May18_089_Mitake_ Sedum_subtileRC |
May18_092_Mitake_ Sedum_subtileRC |
  In 1st position in this row is a beautiful Rhododendron X hybridum bush. Unfortunately it was much more beautiful in the forest than it is here! That is followed by a shot taken from the summit of Mt. Hinode and then a shot of a HUGE Cephalanthera falcata - "The Golden Orchid" plant. We've never found any which approached the size of the ones we found in this area. |
May18_094_Hinode _RhododendronRC |
May18_098_Hinode _SceneryRC |
May18th_MtHinode067_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
  Here are 3 more shots of Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid taken in this area - actually, all 3 of these shots show the same plant, but there were several large plants here! |
May18th_MtHinode068_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18th_MtHinode074_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18th_MtHinode071_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
  And, in this row there are 3 shots of the very tiny Polygala japonica. Can you get an idea of the size of this plant by looking at the dead grasses and other things in the photo? |
May18th_MtHinode076 _PolygalaJaponicaRC |
May18_102_Hinode_ Polygala_japonicaRC |
May18_103_Hinode_ Polygala_japonicaRC |
  Here are 3 more shots of Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid. The first shot shows several specimens of this plant in bloom. |
May18th_MtHinode081_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18_113_Hinode_ Cephalanthera_falcataRC |
May18_115_Hinode_ Cephalanthera_falcataRC |
  Here are 2 more shots of Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid and sandwiched in between them is an example of the very tiny Polygala japonica. |
May18th_MtHinode091_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18_122Crop_Hinode_ Polygala_japonicaRC |
May18th_MtHinode093_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
  Interesting - this row is a duplicate of the row immediately above, but different photos - 2 more shots of Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid and sandwiched in between them is an example of the very tiny Polygala japonica. |
May18th_MtHinode096_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18_124Crop_Hinode_ Polygala_japonicaRC |
May18th_MtHinode097_CephalantheraFalcataRC |
  Here is a shot of me shooting a Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid and that's followed by a Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid collage which attempts to show the internal structure of the flowers - kind of a typical orchid type flower, wouldn't you agree? |
May18th_MtHinode117_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
Cephalanthera_falcata _Collage_May2013RC |
  Here are the 2 final shots of Cephalanthera falcata - Golden Orchid from this adventure and probably until next year. And, that's the end of May 18th too. |
May18th_MtHinode100_ CephalantheraFalcataRC |
May18_155_Hinode_ Cephalanthera_falcataRC |
End May 18, End Page 2 |
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 3 for the continuation and conclusion of this month's adventures. |
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