Studies of Plants and Wildlife

March 19, 2009

Takao, Hikage, Mt. Kobotokeshiro and Mt. Kagenobu (March 13th)

Viola yezoensis f. discolor (Takao Sumire) on the way to Hikage from Takao Sta.
The buds were ready to open.

Today we went to see some orchids around Mt. Kagenobu area.
When we arrived at Takao station, we had to wait for a long time until the next bus to Kobotoke, so we decided to walk down to Hikage-sawa. Beside the Hikage creek we found Viola hondoensis (Aoi Sumire), Mitella pauciflora (Kocharumeru-sou), Chrysosplenium var. stamineum (Hana-neko-no-me) and a few kinds of anemone flowers.
On the way down from Mt. Kagenobu, we found quite a few Cymbidium goeringii (Shun-ran).

Mitella pauciflora (Kocharumeru-sou).

Chrysosplenium album　var. stamineum (Hana-neko-no-me).

Chrysosplenium album　var. stamineum (Hana-neko-no-me).
Some amazing patch of them were growing near the entrance of Hikage creek.

Anemone flaccida (Nirin-sou).

Viola hondoensis (Aoi Sumire).

Anemone raddeana (Azuma Ichige).

Omphalodes japonica (Yama-ruri-sou).
By the Hikage creek.

Viola japonica (Ko Sumire).

Cymbidium goeringii (Shun-ran).

Cymbidium goeringii (Shun-ran).
Their flower colors are slightly different from each other.

Cymbidium goeringii (Shun-ran).

Viola hondoensis (Aoi Sumire).
Found on the way to Kobotoke BS.

February 14, 2009

Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Hakusan, Tokyo (February 15th)

Prunus × kanzakura (Kanzakura)

We went to Koishikawa Botanical Garden to see some plum blossoms. We found a few kinds of violets blooming already and a tree of cherry blossom starting to fall, too. Some of the plums have really interesting shapes of flower.

Prunus × kanzakura (Kanzakura)

Camellia kissi (Togariba-sazanka).
It is so tiny flower of winter camellia.

Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo sumire)

Viola yedoensis (Noji sumire).
I like the color of this kind of violet.

Viola yedoensis (Noji sumire)

Viola diffusa (Tsukushi sumire).
The leaves were already there.

Tilia miqueliana (Bodaiju).

Plum blossom (Yae Matsushima, 八重松島)

Plum blossom (Suigetsu, 酔月)

Plum blossom (Kokinran, 古金欄)

Plum blossom (Uguisu kakushi, 鶯隠)

Plum blossom (Tekken, 酈懸)

Plum blossom (Ou-bai, 黄梅)

February 13, 2009

Nogawa Park (February 14th)

Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou)

We went to Nogawa Park to see Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou) flowers. They were close to the end of peak, but we were able to find some nice flowers, too. We also found some violet flowers.

Anemone pseudoaltaica (Kikuzaki Ichige)

Edgeworthia chrysantha (Mitsumata)

Petasites japonicus (Fukinotou)

Shibateranthis pinnatifida (Setsubun-sou)

Viola hondoensis (Aoi Sumire)

Hamamelis japonica (Mansaku)

Crows in Nogawa river...It was pretty hot today even for them.

Prunus cerasoides var. canpanulata (Kanhi-zakura)

Kyodo-no-mori Park, Bubaigawara (February 11th)

Plum blossoms.

We went to Kyodo-no-mori Park in Bubaigawara. There is a big plum garden there.
The place was filled with a nice fragrance of plum.

Sawai and Mitake (February 8th)

Shining surface of the water.

We went to Mitake and Sawai to enjoy walking by the Tama river.
We had lunch at a nice Soba restaurant, Tamagawa-ya.
At Sawai, we tasted a little bit of Sake and walked by the river to Ikusabata Sta.