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This is Page 2 of 3 - the best of April 2016!
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.

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.

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.
Apr1_84_Takao_Hikage_Viola_japonicaRC
Apr1_84_Takao_Hikage
_Viola_japonicaRC
Apr1_81_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
Apr1_81_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium
_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
Apr1_85_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?
Apr1_86_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
Apr1_86_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium
_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
Apr1_82_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
Apr1_82_Takao_Hikage_Chrysosplenium
_macrostemon_var_atrandrumRC
April1st_Takao083_ChrysospleniumMacrostemonVarAtrandrumRC
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.
April1st_Takao084_ViolaYezoensisFDiscolorRC
April1st_Takao084_
ViolaYezoensisFDiscolorRC
Apr1_91_Takao_Hikage_Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
Apr1_91_Takao_Hikage_
Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
April1st_Takao087_ViolaYezoensisFDiscolorRC
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.
Apr1_97_Takao_Hikage_Oxalis_griffithii_var_kantoensisRC
Apr1_97_Takao_Hikage_Oxalis
_griffithii_var_kantoensisRC
Apr1_100_Takao_Hikage_Viola_yezoensisRC
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.
Apr1_103_Takao_Hikage_Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
Apr1_103_Takao_Hikage_
Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
Apr1_103Part_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.
April1st_Takao099_ViolaHondoensisRC
April1st_Takao099_
ViolaHondoensisRC
Apr1_114_Takao_Hikage_Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
Apr1_114_Takao_Hikage_
Viola_yezoensis_f_discolorRC
April1st_Takao101_DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC
April1st_Takao101_
DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC

The Violets Page
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.
April1st_Takao102_DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC
April1st_Takao102_
DichocarpumTrachyspermumRC
April1st_Takao105_ChrysospleniumAlbumVarStamineumRC
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.
April9th_MinamiTakao_001RC
April9th_Minami
Takao_001RC
Apr9_04_MinamiTakao_CherryBlossomsRC
Apr9_04_MinamiTakao
_CherryBlossomsRC
Apr9_01_MinamiTakao_Kerria_japonicaRC
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.
April9th_MinamiTakao_004_KerriaJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_004
_KerriaJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_007_KerriaJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_007
_KerriaJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_005_KerriaJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_005
_KerriaJaponicaRC

  In this row are two shots of Viola phalacrocarpa, what an amazing shade of purple, eh?
Apr9_10_MinamiTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpaRC
Apr9_10_MinamiTakao_
Viola_phalacrocarpaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_010_ViolaPhalacrocarpaRC
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.
Apr9_15_MinamiTakao_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_15_MinamiTakao_
Arisaema_urashimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_012_ArisaemaUrashimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_012
_ArisaemaUrashimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_012Part_ArisaemaUrashimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_012
Part_ArisaemaUrashimaRC

  Here are three more shots of Arisaema urashima - a species of Jack-in-the-pulpit.
Apr9_17_MinamiTakao_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_17_MinamiTakao
_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_18_MinamiTakao_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_18_MinamiTakao
_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_21_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.
Apr9_22_MinamiTakao_Arisaema_urashimaRC
Apr9_22_MinamiTakao
_Arisaema_urashimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_013_AjugaDecumbensRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_013_
AjugaDecumbensRC
Apr9_25_MinamiTakao_Ajuga_decumbensRC
Apr9_25_MinamiTakao_
Ajuga_decumbensRC

  In this row are two shots of a purple flowered Ajuga decumbens.
April9th_MinamiTakao_014_AjugaDecumbensRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_014_
AjugaDecumbensRC
Apr9_28_MinamiTakao_Ajuga_decumbensRC
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.
Apr9_30_MinamiTakao_Scutellaria_indica_var_parvifoliaRC
Apr9_30_MinamiTakao_Scutellaria
_indica_var_parvifoliaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_017_ScutellariaIndicaVarParvifoliaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_017_Scutellaria
IndicaVarParvifoliaRC
Apr9_34_MinamiTakao_Viola_grypocerasRC
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.
April9th_MinamiTakao_018_ViolaPhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_018_Viola
PhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC
Apr9_44_MinamiTakao_Viola_phalacrocarpa_f_glaberrimaRC
Apr9_44_MinamiTakao_Viola_
phalacrocarpa_f_glaberrimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_019_ViolaPhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC
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.
Apr9_46_MinamiTakao_Viola_obtusaRC
Apr9_46_MinamiTakao
_Viola_obtusaRC
Apr9_47_MinamiTakao_Viola_obtusaRC
Apr9_47_MinamiTakao
_Viola_obtusaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_020_ViolaObtusaRC
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.
April9th_MinamiTakao_022_ViolaPhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_022_Viola
PhalacrocarpaFGlaberrimaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_023_ChaenomelesJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_023_
ChaenomelesJaponicaRC
April9th_MinamiTakao_024_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. Go To Page:


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