danwiz.com
This is Page 2 of 4 - the best of April 2015!
posted: April 30th, 2015
Go To Page:

This page begins and ends with April 12th and our outing to the Hikage Creek Area, a climb to the Mt. Kobotoke-Shiro-Yama summit (670 m = 2,199 ft) for the 54th time and then an additional climb to the summit of Mt. Kagenobu (727 m = 2,385 ft) for the 12th time. From there we descended to the bus stop and took a bus back to Takao Station and headed home. we found an abundance of violets on this outing.   Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin April 12th
  The first thing we found was Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet). All 3 photos in this row show this species. The center image shows the outlined area of the 3rd photo. The f. discolor refers to the purplish-brown color of the leaves of this violet.
Apr12_07_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_07_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12th_25Part_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_25Part_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_25_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_25_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC

  All 3 photos in this row show what could be a cross between the Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet) and the normal Viola yezoensis (Hikage Violet). Note that the leaves are not very purplish brown at all.
Apr12th_34_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_34_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12_22_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_22_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_28_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_28_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC

  WOW! Check out this beautiful flower of one of the species of Arisaema sp. (Jack-in-the-Pulpit). Of course the 1st image includes only the outlined area of the next photo.
Apr12_31Crop_Hikage_Kagenobu_Arisaema_spRC
Apr12_31Crop_Hikage_
Kagenobu_Arisaema_spRC
Apr12_32_Hikage_Kagenobu_Arisaema_spRC
Apr12_32_Hikage_
Kagenobu_Arisaema_spRC

  The first 2 shots in this row seem to be of Viola yezoensis (Hikage Violet), while the 3rd shot is most decidedly of a Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet).
Apr12_42_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_42_Hikage_Kagenobu_
Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12th_42_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_42_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12_44_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_44_Hikage_Kagenobu_
Viola_yezoensisRC

  The first shot in this row is very similar to the previous photo and is, of course, Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet). The 2nd and 3rd shots show Anemone flaccida in the wild. Remember the photo of the small patch of this species on Page 1, Row 10, Center Photo? Quite a difference, eh?
Apr12th_45_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_45_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_51_HikageKagenobuAnemoneFlaccidaRC
Apr12th_51_Hikage
KagenobuAnemoneFlaccidaRC
Apr12th_52_HikageKagenobuAnemoneFlaccidaRC
Apr12th_52_Hikage
KagenobuAnemoneFlaccidaRC

  Here are 3 shots of Asarum caulescens growing on a small hillside above Hikage Creek. We don't manage to get here for the peak of blooming of this species every year, but when we do get here at the proper time we always seem to manage to get some nice photos.
Apr12_48_Hikage_Kagenobu_Asarum_caulescensRC
Apr12_48_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Asarum_caulescensRC
Apr12th_60_HikageKagenobuAsarumCaulescensRC
Apr12th_60_HikageKagenobu
AsarumCaulescensRC
Apr12_49_Hikage_Kagenobu_Asarum_caulescensRC
Apr12_49_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Asarum_caulescensRC

  In 1st position in this row is another Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet), mixed in with some Oxalis griffithii var. kantoensis. The 2nd shot is a perfect one of an entire Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet) plant and the 3rd shot seems to be a Viola yezoensis (Hikage Violet).
Apr12th_66_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_66_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_70_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_70_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12_52_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_52_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC

  The hardcover version of "A Pocket-Size Version of Some Violets of Eastern Japan - 2nd Edition" book will be available on Amazon and through your favorite bookstore on May 15, 2015. The list price is $33.95. The ISBN-10 is 099621612X and the ISBN-13 is 978-0-9962161-2-8 if you want to write those down and ask your local bookstore to order it for you. It is 124 pages and contains about 105 images. The images are the same as the paperback version, the only thing different is the hard cover. The list price for the paperback version is $24.79. Of course you can find it by going to the "Our Books" button at the bottom of this page and clicking the "General Information" link and going from there.
Hardcover Edition of
Hardcover Edition of
'A Pocket-Size Version of Some Violets of Eastern Japan'
available May 10, 2015

  In this row you can see a Viola yezoensis (Hikage Violet) and then a Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Violet) and in 3rd position a Viola eizanensis.
Apr12_56_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_56_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12th_77_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_77_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12_65_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_yezoensisRC
Apr12_65_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_yezoensisRC

  Here are examples of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima and Viola obtusa for you to enjoy. Can you recognize any of them on your own yet?
Apr12th_83_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_83_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_88_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_88_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC

  There are a couple of places along the trail to Mt. Kagenobu where we sometimes can find the pinkest Viola eizanensis flowers that we ever see. Here is one example, the 2nd image being cropped out of the outlined area of the first photo. The 3rd shot is a scenery shot in which you can see quite a number of Mountain Cherry Trees (Yama-Zakura) in bloom.
Apr12th_95_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_95_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_95Part_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_95Part_
HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_97_HikageKagenobuSceneryRC
Apr12th_97_Hikage
KagenobuSceneryRC

  Here are 3 more amazingly pink examples of Viola eizanensis. The 2nd image shows the outlined area of the first photo and is different enough from the one immediately above it so that it is worth showing to you. The 3rd shot is kind of an overview photo showing this plant growing among the dead grass.
Apr12th_99_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_99_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_99Part_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_99Part_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12_69_Hikage_Kagenobu_Viola_eizanensisRC
Apr12_69_Hikage_Kagenobu
_Viola_eizanensisRC

  Here are the final 3 photos which we want to show you from this outing. The first shot is of a Viola obtusa, the 2nd shot shows a Mountain Cherry Tree (Yama-Zakura) in bloom down below us in the forest and the 3rd shot shows three nice Cymbidium goeringii Orchid flowers. Note the cute little insect sitting atop the far right flower.
Apr12th_104_HikageKagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_104_Hikage
KagenobuViolaRC
Apr12th_106_HikageKagenobuYamaZakuraRC
Apr12th_106_Hikage
KagenobuYamaZakuraRC
Apr12th_110_HikageKagenobuCymbidiumGoeringiiRC
Apr12th_110_Hikage
KagenobuCymbidiumGoeringiiRC
End April 12th, 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:


(will open in new window)

Purchase Photos Complete List Of All Photos E-mail us Go to the Special Items Page
Top Of Page Lightbox Instructions Comprehensive Site Map Return to our home page



Link to Amazon.com (new window).
We get 2% of whatever you spend if you go to Amazon from this link!! Please shop on Amazon from here.
If you would like to donate to our hiking & traveling fund or show your appreciation for our efforts you can donate through PayPal. A single donation will entitle you to request a single full-sized photo IN THE DONATION MONTH - which you may then use as a desktop wallpaper or whatever. The copyright will be retained by us and the photo will be inconspicuously marked with the copyright symbol (©), year and photographer's name. (Donation probably not tax deductible.)