Somewhere in Tama Area (April 12th)

Akigawa River.

Today we went to some trail near the Musashi-itsukaichi area to see some Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire) flowers. It was a little bit too late to go there this year, so we found quite a few plants of the violet after flowers. Still, we could find some flowers of the violet and also another beautiful violet; Viola obtusa (Nioi Tachitsubo Sumire). Some of them might be the hybrid of this kind and Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo Sumire), but it is too difficult for us to identify exactly.


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).
The backside of the leaves are purplish green.


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


The greens were just starting to grow.


Viola obtusa (Nioi Tachitsubo Sumire).
It has beautiful color flowers, which have a nice fragrance.


Viola obtusa (Nioi Tachitsubo Sumire).
Their flower stems are a little hairy.


Viola obtusa (Nioi Tachitsubo Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola violacea (Shihai Sumire).


Viola verecunda (Nyoi Sumire).


Viola obtusa (Nioi Tachitsubo Sumire)... This one might be the hybrid with Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo Sumire).


It felt really nice to walk under the beautiful greens with nice breeze.

Some Mountains near Mitake, Ome (April 11th)

The view from the top of one of the mountains.

Today we went to check the violets on the mountains near Mitake Sta.
Last year we found lots of kinds of violets on this trail, including the hybrid of Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire) and Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire). It was too late for the flower of that, so we went to there a little earlier this year.
What a luck! We found not only the one we were expecting, but also found another plant of the same hybrid!


Viola sieboldi (Fumoto Sumire).


Viola sieboldi f. variegata (Fuiri Fumoto Sumire).


Viola sieboldi f. variegata (Fuiri Fumoto Sumire).
Beautiful pattern on the leaf.


Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire).


The corridor of cedar trees.


Viola grypoceras f. purpurellocalcarata (Otome Sumire).


Viola grypoceras f. purpurellocalcarata (Otome Sumire).


A big tree on the way.


Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana (Hina Sumire).


Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana (Hina Sumire).


Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire).


Viola bissetii (Nagaba-no-sumiresaishin).


Viola bissetii (Nagaba-no-sumiresaishin).


Shortia uniflora (Iwa Uchiwa).


Viola rossii (Akebono Sumire).


Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire).


Viola sieboldi (Fumoto Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
The hybrid of Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire) and Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
This one looked different from the one we found at the other spot on this trail.
This one had bigger and darker pink color flowers.


Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
The hybrid of Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire) and Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
Finally we could see the flower of this kind... It was a little too late for the flowers when we found them last year.


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
They were forming a small patch.


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
It looks pretty similer to the other hybrid we found today; Okutama Sumire, but they were definitely different from each other.


Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
The texture of the leaves are close to the one of Viola violacea var. makinoi (Makino Sumire).


Viola x taradakensis var. eizalacea (Kawagishi Sumire).
The backside of the leaves are greenish purple.


Viola rossii (Akebono Sumire).


Viola bissetii (Nagaba-no-sumiresaishin).


Erythronium japonicum (Katakuri).


Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana (Hina Sumire).
Pink one and white one.


Erythronium japonicum (Katakuri).


Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire).


Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire).


Capricornis crispus (Nihon Kamoshika).
On the way down from the mountains.