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posted: May 31st, 2015 |
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This page begins and ends with May 3rd and a trip to and climb of Mt. Kiritou (1,305 m = 4,283 ft), in Nagano Prefecture. Of course this climb was another violets hunting expedition - and we succeeded. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin May 3rd |
The 2 photos in this row were taken from the train window as we rode from Kofu Station to Shiojiri Station. They both show nice mountains, eh!
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 May3rd_MtKiritou006 _HinoharuStaRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou007 _HinoharuStaRC |
After we got to the trailhead of Mt. Kiritou the first thing we found was a nice specimen of Viola acuminata - a violet which we have seen very few times before. The 2nd and 3rd photos show a form of Viola grypoceras which we had never seen before. It seems that there is not yet a scientific name for this form, but in Japanese it's known as the green form. The Japanese name for Viola grypoceras is "Tachitsubo Sumire" and this form is known as "Midori Tachitsubo Sumire", or "Green Tachitsubo Sumire".
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 May03_03_MtKiritou _Viola_acuminataRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou016 _ViolaGrypocerasRC |
 May03_09_MtKiritou_Mutant _Viola_grypocerasRC |
In 1st and 3rd positions are additional photos of the green form of Viola grypoceras. In the center is a photo of Malus sieboldii. The outlined area of the 3rd photo shows what is included in the 1st image in Row 4.
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 May3rd_MtKiritou027 _ViolaGrypocerasRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou033 _MalusSieboldiiRC |
 May03_10_MtKiritou_Mutant _Viola_grypocerasRC |
The first image in this row shows only the area which is outlined in the previous photo. All photos in this row are of the green form of Viola grypoceras.
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 May03_10Part_MtKiritou_ Mutant_Viola_grypocerasRC |
 May03_18_MtKiritou_ Mutant_Viola_grypocerasRC |
 May03_19_MtKiritou_ Mutant_Viola_grypocerasRC |
In first position in this row is a shot of Viola violacea f. versicolor and that is followed by a shot of Viola violacea var. makinoi. The 3rd shot shows a blooming Padus grayana.
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 May03_31_MtKiritou_ Viola_violacea_f_versicolorRC |
 May03_32_MtKiritou_Viola_ violacea_var_makinoiRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou052 _PadusGrayanaRC |
In this row are 3 shots of a Capricornis crispus - a Japanese Serow - Kamoshika in Japanese. We were off the trail and wandering through the forest looking for violets and Kazuya spotted this animal, which was quite cooperative in letting us shoot photos of it, until we got too close and then it ran away.
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 May03_37_MtKiritou _Capricornis_crispusRC |
 May03_42_MtKiritou _Capricornis_crispusRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou063 _CapricornisCrispusRC |
Here are 2 shots of another violet which we only see about once a year - a Viola grypoceras f. purpurellocalcarata. We only found this one specimen of it. The 3rd shot is an Oxalis obtriangulata - a species of sorrel.
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 May03_47_MtKiritou_Viola_grypoceras _f_purpurellocalcarataRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou074_ViolaGrypocerasF PurpurellocalcarataRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou075_ OxalisObtriangulataRC |
Here are 3 additional shots of that single plant of Viola grypoceras f. purpurellocalcarata. We actually have not found this species in a couple or 3 years. The center image includes only the outlined portion of the first photo.
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 May03_48_MtKiritou_Viola_grypoceras _f_purpurellocalcarataRC |
 May03_48Part_MtKiritou_Viola _grypoceras_f_purpurellocalcarataRC |
 May03_49_MtKiritou_Viola_grypoceras _f_purpurellocalcarataRC |
Here are 2 shots of Viola violacea f. versicolor and then a shot of a beautifully reddish specimen of Viola violacea var. makinoi, although we could not make the red show up very well in the photos. The last time we were here the Viola violacea f. versicolor which we found in bloom were all down at the bottom of the mountain and we did not find a single one of them in bloom ON the mountain. That was on April 27th, 2013. This time they were all finished blooming down at the base of the mountain and we did not find any in bloom until we were actually on the mountain - and we found them in bloom virtually all the way to the summit.
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 May03_53_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_f_versicolorRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou102_ ViolaViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
 May03_76_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_var_makinoiRC |
In this row all 3 shots are of Viola violacea var. makinoi. The 3rd shot is another flower which was amazingly reddish in real life.
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 May03_80_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_var_makinoiRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou131_Viola ViolaceaVarMakinoiRC |
 May03_89_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_var_makinoiRC |
In this row the first show shows Viola violacea f. versicolor (near center) and Viola violacea var. makinoi (near left side). The 2nd shot is a Viola violacea var. makinoi and the 3rd shot is Viola violacea f. versicolor.
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 May3rd_MtKiritou150_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou172_Viola ViolaceaVarMakinoiRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou151_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
The 1st and 2nd shots here are kind of overview shots of Viola violacea f. versicolor and the 3rd shot is a tight shot of Viola violacea f. versicolor.
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 May3rd_MtKiritou178_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
 May03_100_MtKiritou_Viola_ violacea_f_versicolorRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou180_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
The first shot in this row is a really broad overview shot of Viola violacea f. versicolor, the 2nd shot is a tight shot and the 3rd shot shows me hiking along the trail.
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 May3rd_MtKiritou192_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
 May03_104_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_f_versicolorRC |
 May3rd_Mt Kiritou196RC |
The first and second shots in this row show Erythronium japonicum - Trout Lily and the third shot is a really nice Viola violacea var. makinoi flower. You may be confused because most of the leaves you see here belong to Viola violacea f. versicolor. The only leaf you can see of the Viola violacea var. makinoi is directly behind the flower.
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 May3rd_Mt Kiritou215RC |
 May3rd_Mt Kiritou214RC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou226_Viola ViolaceaVarMakinoiRC |
In first and third position in this row are shots of Viola violacea var. makinoi, but in the center is a shot of Viola violacea f. versicolor.
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 May03_110_MtKiritou_Viola _violacea_var_makinoiRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou228_Viola ViolaceaFVersicolorRC |
 May3rd_MtKiritou242_ ViolaViolaceaVarMakinoiRC |
Now we have attained the summit of this 1,305 m (4,283 ft) mountain and these two shots show some nice distant mountains which we could see from here.
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 May03_116_MtKiritou _SummitSceneryRC |
 May03_117_MtKiritou _SummitSceneryRC |
Here is a shot of the Mt. Kiritou summit marker. We ate our lunch here at the summit, along with 20 or 30 other people, some of whom were ridiculously noisy. Then we headed down. The final shot is that same Viola acuminata which you saw in the 2nd row, in first position. The lighting was somewhat better at this time, but still not great.
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 May3rd_MtKiritou246_ TheViewFromTheSummitRC |
 May03_125_MtKiritou_ Viola_acuminataRC |
| End May 3rd, 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 of this month's adventures. |
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