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posted: April 30th, 2016 |
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This page continues April 1st at 1:36 PM from Page 1. At this point we are quite low down on the Hikage Creek Road and hiking down to the bus stop. In Row 8 we jump to April 9th and a trip to and hike in the Minami-Takao (South Takao) area. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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Note Well: This month's photos mark the final ones from my 15 years in Japan. Kazuya and I are moving to my home in Fairbanks, Alaska later on this month (May 2016). It will most likely take us a couple of months to get settled and start going on some adventures in Alaska, but rest assured that we hope and plan to continue to maintain and update this website as soon as possible. Thank you for your support through the years.
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| April 1st Continues From Page 1 (at 1:36 PM) |
Now we are still hiking down the Hikage Creek logging road and there are only 18 more photos from this date. The first photo in this row is another of Viola japonica. The second and third photos are of Chrysosplenium macrostemon var. atrandrum.
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 Apr1_84_Takao_Hikage _Viola_japonicaRC |
 Apr1_81_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium _macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC |
 Apr1_85_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium _macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC |
All three shots in this row show Chrysosplenium macrostemon var. atrandrum. Interesting little plant, eh?
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 Apr1_86_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium _macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC |
 Apr1_82_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium _macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC |
 April1st_Takao083_Chrysosplenium MacrostemonVarAtrandrumRC |
Now we have gotten low enough in elevation so that we are beginning to find some of the famous Takao Violet (Viola yezoensis f. discolor). The first shot was taken at the highest elevation, where the buds were not yet open. After a short time, though, we got low enough on the mountain so that we found plants with open flowers, as shown in the second and third shots.
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 April1st_Takao084_ ViolaYezoensisFDiscolorRC |
 Apr1_91_Takao_Hikage_ Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC |
 April1st_Takao087_ ViolaYezoensisFDiscolorRC |
In first position in this row is a shot of Oxalis griffithii var. kantoensis and in second position is a Hikage Violet (Viola yezoensis) - basically a Takao Violet, but with green leaves instead of the purplish-brown leaves of the Takao Violet.
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 Apr1_97_Takao_Hikage_Oxalis _griffithii_var_kantoensisRC |
 Apr1_100_Takao_Hikage _Viola_yezoensisRC |
Here are two images of the Takao Violet (Viola yezoensis f. discolor). The outlined area in the first photo shows what is included in the second image.
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 Apr1_103_Takao_Hikage_ Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC |
 Apr1_103Part_Takao_Hikage_ Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC |
The first shot in this row shows a Viola hondoensis, the second shot is a Takao Violet (Viola yezoensis f. discolor) and the third shot is of a Dichocarpum trachyspermum.
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 April1st_Takao099_ ViolaHondoensisRC |
 Apr1_114_Takao_Hikage_ Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC |
 April1st_Takao101_ DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC |
Click the above button for a Special Page dedicated to most of the Violets which we have identified with confidence. |
Here is one more shot of the Dichocarpum trachyspermum and then the final shot for today. The second photo is Chrysosplenium album var. stamineum, and it is nearly finishing up blooming for this year.
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 April1st_Takao102_ DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC |
 April1st_Takao105_ ChrysospleniumAlbumVarStamineumRC |
| End April 1st, Begin April 9th |
Now we jump to April 9th and a trip to the Minami-Takao (South Takao) area. The first shot was taken right at the bus stop where we began the climb and shows Rape Flower in bloom. Have you ever eaten Rape Flower? The second shot shows a late blooming cherry tree and the third shot shows the brilliant yellow flowers of Kerria japonica.
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 April9th_Minami Takao_001RC |
 Apr9_04_MinamiTakao _CherryBlossomsRC |
 Apr9_01_MinamiTakao _Kerria_japonicaRC |
Here are three more shots in which you can see the brilliant yellow flowers of Kerria japonica. The person in the center photo is me.
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 April9th_MinamiTakao_004 _KerriaJaponicaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_007 _KerriaJaponicaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_005 _KerriaJaponicaRC |
In this row are two shots of Viola phalacrocarpa, what an amazing shade of purple, eh?
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 Apr9_10_MinamiTakao_ Viola_phalacrocarpaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_010 _ViolaPhalacrocarpaRC |
All three images in this row show Arisaema urashima - a species of Jack-in-the-pulpit. As with all members of the genus Arisaema, the inflorescence consists of a spathe tube enclosing a spadix appendix. In the case of A. urashima, the spadix appendix is elongated into a free hanging thread of 45 to 60 cm. The Japanese name has something to do with fishing. Note that the third image is a portion of the second photo. I believe that this was the first time we'd ever seen this plant. It certainly is interesting.
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 Apr9_15_MinamiTakao_ Arisaema_urashimaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_012 _ArisaemaUrashimaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_012 Part_ArisaemaUrashimaRC |
Here are three more shots of Arisaema urashima - a species of Jack-in-the-pulpit.
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 Apr9_17_MinamiTakao _Arisaema_urashimaRC |
 Apr9_18_MinamiTakao _Arisaema_urashimaRC |
 Apr9_21_MinamiTakao _Arisaema_urashimaRC |
In first position in this row is the final shot of Arisaema urashima - a species of Jack-in-the-pulpit, showing only the leaves. That is followed by two shots of a pink flowered Ajuga decumbens.
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 Apr9_22_MinamiTakao _Arisaema_urashimaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_013_ AjugaDecumbensRC |
 Apr9_25_MinamiTakao_ Ajuga_decumbensRC |
In this row are two shots of a purple flowered Ajuga decumbens.
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 April9th_MinamiTakao_014_ AjugaDecumbensRC |
 Apr9_28_MinamiTakao_ Ajuga_decumbensRC |
In first and second position in this row are shots of Scutellaria indica var. parvifolia. In third position is a shot of Viola grypoceras.
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 Apr9_30_MinamiTakao_Scutellaria _indica_var_parvifoliaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_017_Scutellaria IndicaVarParvifoliaRC |
 Apr9_34_MinamiTakao_ Viola_grypocerasRC |
All three shots in this row show Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima. What's the difference between this and the Viola phalacrocarpa which you saw above? The flower stem of Viola phalacrocarpa is covered with small hairs, while the flower stem of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima is smooth and glabrous.
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 April9th_MinamiTakao_018_Viola PhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC |
 Apr9_44_MinamiTakao_Viola_ phalacrocarpa_f_glaberrimaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_019_Viola PhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC |
In this row are three shots of Viola obtusa. The first shot is really amazing for the detail which it shows.
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 Apr9_46_MinamiTakao _Viola_obtusaRC |
 Apr9_47_MinamiTakao _Viola_obtusaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_020_ ViolaObtusaRC |
In first position in this row is another shot of Viola phalacrocarpa f. glaberrima. The second and third shots show the amazingly orange flowers of Chaenomeles japonica.
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 April9th_MinamiTakao_022_Viola PhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_023_ ChaenomelesJaponicaRC |
 April9th_MinamiTakao_024_ ChaenomelesJaponicaRC |
| End Page 2, but April 9th Continues on Page 3 at 9:34 AM |
| 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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