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This is Page 2 of 4 - the best of April 2012!
posted: April 30th, 2012
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This page begins with April 13th and a trip to Minami Takao - or the South side of Mt. Takao - a side of Mt. Takao which we had never visited before. Then, on April 15th Kazuya went out to the Mt. Mitake Area and I did not go along because I was busy packing and preparing for a week long English Class to a faraway place. Then, on April 20th I was still away from home and Kazuya went out to another new place outside of Tokyo. That will end this page. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin April 13th
  Well, as it says in the header, on April 13th we went out to the South side of Mt. Takao - a place we had never been to before - at least not together. Kazuya had been there once before, however. The first shot in this row shows a very nice Viola grypoceras f. variegata. The 2nd shot is an Arisaema sp. and the 3rd shot is a beautiful example of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima. Note that the spelling of the photo name is INCORRECT - it should be glaberrima.
Apr13_04_SouthTakao_Viola_grypoceras_f_variegataRC
Apr13_04_SouthTakao_Viola
_grypoceras_f_variegataRC
Apr13_07_SouthTakao_Arisaema_spRC
Apr13_07_South
Takao_Arisaema_spRC
Apr13_10_SouthTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC
Apr13_10_SouthTakao_Viola
_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC

  Here are 2 more shots of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima followed by a shot of Viola phalacrocarpa. What's the difference? The flower stem of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima is not hairy and the flower stem of Viola phalacrocarpa is hairy.
Apr13_11_SouthTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC
Apr13_11_SouthTakao_Viola
_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC
Apr13_36_SouthTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC
Apr13_36_SouthTakao_Viola
_phalacrocarpa_f_glabberimaRC
Apr13_37_SouthTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpaRC
Apr13_37_SouthTakao_
Viola_phalacrocarpaRC

  Here is an overview shot of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima showing the habitat where one can find it growing. That is followed by a shot of a Viola obtusa with an ant crawling on it for scale and the 3rd shot is a Viola obtusa without an ant on it.
April13th_MinamiTakao019RC
April13th_
MinamiTakao019RC
April13th_MinamiTakao022RC
April13th_
MinamiTakao022RC
Apr13_42_SouthTakao_Viola_obtusaRC
Apr13_42_SouthTakao_
Viola_obtusaRC

  What the heck is this thing? Is it some kind of cocoon or is it the seedpod of some plant? There were several of these things scattered here and there. If you know what it is, please contact me through the e-mail link at the bottom of this page. The 2nd and 3rd shots show a beautiful Anemone flaccida.
Apr13_51_SouthTakao_WhatIsItRC
Apr13_51_South
Takao_WhatIsItRC
Apr13_53_SouthTakao_Anemone_flaccidaRC
Apr13_53_SouthTakao
_Anemone_flaccidaRC
Apr13_54_SouthTakao_Anemone_flaccidaRC
Apr13_54_SouthTakao
_Anemone_flaccidaRC

  Here are two shots of Viola bissetii followed by a shot of Viola grypoceras.
Apr13_56_SouthTakao_Viola_bissetiiRC
Apr13_56_SouthTakao
_Viola_bissetiiRC
April13th_MinamiTakao032RC
April13th_
MinamiTakao032RC
Apr13_78_SouthTakao_Viola_grypocerasRC
Apr13_78_SouthTakao
_Viola_grypocerasRC

  Here is a shot of a Viola phalacrocarpa (hairy flower stem). That is followed by a shot of a Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana and then a shot of a Viola eizanensis.
Apr13_92_SouthTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpaRC
Apr13_92_SouthTakao
_Viola_phalacrocarpaRC
Apr13_97_SouthTakao_Viola_bissetiiRC
Apr13_97_SouthTakao
_Viola_bissetiiRC
Apr13_102_SouthTakao_Viola_eizanensisRC
Apr13_102_SouthTakao
_Viola_eizanensisRC

  Here are 3 shots of a Viola chaerophylloides f. sieboldiana - this is a species which we seem to only find every couple of years, so we considered ourselves fortunate today to find this species.
April13th_MinamiTakao054RC
April13th_Minami
Takao054RC
April13th_MinamiTakao063RC
April13th_Minami
Takao063RC
Apr13_113_SouthTakao_Viola_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC
Apr13_113_SouthTakao_Viola
_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC

  Here are 2 final shots of Viola chaerophylloides f. sieboldiana and that's followed by a shot from the place where we stopped and ate the lunch which we brought with us. This is an island in Lake Tsukui. Notice that the Cherry Trees are in full bloom here.
Apr13_116_SouthTakao_Viola_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC
Apr13_116_SouthTakao_Viola
_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC
Apr13_118_SouthTakao_Viola_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC
Apr13_118_SouthTakao_Viola
_chaerophylloides_f_sieboldianaRC
Apr13_119_SouthTakao_LakeTsukuiRC
Apr13_119_SouthTakao_
LakeTsukuiRC

  I set my camera to the 16 x 9 mode for this shot of Lake Tsukui (usually I use the 4 x 3 mode). The next 2 shots are a great specimen of Oxalis griffithii var. kantoensis. The sun has to be out to be able to see open flowers of this species.
Apr13_131_SouthTakao_LakeTsukuiRC
Apr13_131_SouthTakao_
LakeTsukuiRC
April13th_MinamiTakao088RC
April13th_Minami
Takao088RC
Apr13_164_SouthTakao_Oxalis_griffithii_var_kantoensisRC
Apr13_164_SouthTakao_Oxalis
_griffithii_var_kantoensisRC

  In this shot are 2 shots of Omphalodes japonica. We found this species last month, but the photos we got were not good enough to feature it with last month's photos. The 3rd shot shows the delicate green colors of early spring.
Apr13_173_SouthTakao_Omphalodes_japonicaRC
Apr13_173_SouthTakao
_Omphalodes_japonicaRC
April13th_MinamiTakao107RC
April13th_Minami
Takao107RC
April13th_MinamiTakao110RC
April13th_Minami
Takao110RC

  Here are 2 kinds of Skunk Cabbage - the white flowered Lysichiton camtschatcense and the purplish brown flowered Symplocarpus foetidus. They are both in the Araceae family. Arisaema (row #1 center position) is also in this family.
Apr13_183_SouthTakao_Symplocarpus_foetidusRC
Apr13_183_SouthTakao
_Symplocarpus_foetidusRC
Apr13_179_SouthTakao_Lysichiton_camtschatcenseRC
Apr13_179_SouthTakao_
Lysichiton_camtschatcenseRC
End April 13th, Begin April 15th
  On Sunday, April 15th I had to do class prep and pack my bag for a trip to Omika in Hitachi City in Ibaraki Prefecture for a week long intensive English Class. Kazuya went out to the Mitake Area for the day and here are some of his best shots from that adventure. The first 2 shots show you Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana and the 3rd shot is a Shortia uniflora.
April15th_Takamizu3Mts007RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts007RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts018RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts018RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts022RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts022RC

  Here is a last shot of Shortia uniflora and then a Trout Lily (Erythronium japonicum). The 3rd shot is a Scenery shot from the top of a mountain Kazuya visited.
April15th_Takamizu3Mts023RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts023RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts040RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts040RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts031RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts031RC

  Kazuya was also fortunate enough to be able to find some Viola sieboldi and then in 3rd position a few Viola violacea var. makinoi.
April15th_Takamizu3Mts044RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts044RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts048RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts048RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts052RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts052RC

  Here is another shot of Viola violacea var. makinoi and then 2 shots of Viola sieboldi.
April15th_Takamizu3Mts054RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts054RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts065RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts065RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts068RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts068RC

  Here is a final shot of Viola sieboldi and then a nice shot of Cherry Blossoms at a temple which Kazuya passed.
April15th_Takamizu3Mts069RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts069RC
April15th_Takamizu3Mts077RC
April15th_Takamizu
3Mts077RC
End April 15th, Begin April 20th
  I was still in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture on Friday when Kazuya had a day off from work. He went out to Fujino on the Chuo Train Line and climbed some mountains there. He reported that it was a cloudy or foggy day and that gave a mysterious effect to things. The first shot shows some delicate greens of spring. The 2nd shot shows the mysteriousness of the place. The 3rd shot indicates that the trails in this area are not what one would call over-used.
April20th_Daigomaru011RC
April20th_
Daigomaru011RC
April20th_Daigomaru026RC
April20th_
Daigomaru026RC
April20th_Daigomaru015RC
April20th_
Daigomaru015RC

  Here you can see a Viola eizanensis in first position. In 2nd position is a specimen of Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana. In 3rd position is a scenery shot - you should note the Cherry Trees blooming on the mountain.
April20th_Daigomaru035RC
April20th_
Daigomaru035RC
April20th_MtShoutou077RC
April20th_Mt
Shoutou077RC
April20th_MtShoutou090RC
April20th_Mt
Shoutou090RC
End April 20th, 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. Go To Page:


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