Mt. Takao (May 20th)

Choaspec benjaminii (Aoba seseri)

Today's course:
Keio Takao-san-guchi sta. - No. 6 Trail - Top of Mt. Takao - No. 4 Trail - No. 1 Trail - Takao-san-guchi sta.

We went to Mt. Takao today to see if any Pseudopyxis depressa (Inamorisou) came out yet. We have never seen them before, so we have no idea what it looks like, and couldn't find any either this time. Near the No. 4 trail we found some Asarum tamaense (Tama no Kan Aoi) plants blooming. We have seen Asarum nipponicum (Kan Aoi) at the same area before, but this time was the first time for us to recognize the different species of Asarum.

イナモリソウを探しに高尾山へ行ってきました。未だに見たことがなくて、今回も見つけることはできませんでした。まだ花期には早いのかなあ…　セッコクも まだ早いようです。双眼鏡で一株、花を付け始めた株を確認できただけでした。変わりにタマノカンアオイの花を見つけました。同じエリアでカンアオイは沢山 あるのは知っていたのですが、やはり実際に見てみると両者がかなり違うことが分かります。


Asarum tamaense (Tama no Kan Aoi)
The leaves are shiny, which is the difference from Asarum nipponicum (Kan Aoi).
カンアオイと違って、タマノカンアオイの葉には照りがあります。


Asarum tamaense (Tama no Kan Aoi)
Flower looks pretty different from the one of Asarum nipponicum (Kan Aoi).
タマノカンアオイの花期は４月から5月ごろ、1月ごろに咲いているカンアオイとは、花期も花の形状もかなり異なります。


Asarum tamaense (Tama no Kan Aoi)


Asarum nipponicum (Kan Aoi)
カンアオイの葉は照りがありません。


Calanthe discolor (Ebine)
I think this one is a sprout of an orchid... We will go there to check once again in a while.
多分、エビネだと思うのですが…　またしばらくしたら確認しに行こうと思います。

Takao Area (May 5th)

Paeonia japonica (Yama Shakuyaku)

Today's course:
Keio Takao-san-guchi sta. - No. 6 trail - Mt. Takao summit - Icchou daira - Mt. Kobotoke Shiroyama - Hikage - JR Takao sta.

We went to Mt. Takao today to see if any new plants came out yet since our last visit around this area about a month ago. At the No. 6 trail beside the creek we found Viola maximowicziana (Ko Miyama Sumire) at the sligtly darker place under the forests beside the creek. Their leaves are so characteristic that they hardly look like the leaves of violets. There were filled with people today, even at the No. 6 trail, which is usually fairly not so popular trail. At the top of Mt. Takao there were lots and lots of people having lunch, which made us to feel like as if we had been in Harajuku or somewhere. At the sunny ridge on the way to Icchodaira we found some Polygala japonica (Hime Hagi) and Viola mandshurica (Sumire) flowers. The cherry flowers were all gone and now they had some tiny green cherry fruits. The field around Icchoudaira was all changed and covered with taller bush and grass, where we had found lots of violets at the last visit. At the Hikage area we happed to see 2 ladies looking at something white off the trail. They were looking at the Paeonia japonica (Yama Shakuyaku) flowers shining white under the dark cedar forest. It was first time for us to see them grown in wild. They were really beautiful and elegant flowers. At Hikage most of the violet flowers were gone with leaving their bigger leaves on the ground. Only Viola verecunda (Nyoi Sumire) spreaded well showing their small white flowers beside the trail. We found Meehania urticifolia (Rashoumon Kazura) flowers, too.

およそ一ヶ月ぶりに高尾山へ行ってきました。予想以上に沢山のハイカー、家族ずれでにぎわっていました。6号路では、コミヤマスミレの花が咲いています。 あるご婦人の話では、イナモリソウの芽も出てきているとのことでした。（自分はまだ見たことがないのですが…）日影沢では、あんなに沢山咲いていたスミレ 類は花期を終えて、大きく葉を茂らせています。葉は葉で見ていて楽しいものです。唯一、花の盛りを迎えているニョイスミレを見ながら歩いていると、林床に 白く輝くマリのようなものを見つけました。はっとして目を凝らすと、やはりヤマシャクヤクでした。思わず清楚で可憐な花に出会えて、とても幸せな気持ちに なりました。


Viola maximowicziana (Ko Miyama Sumire)


Viola maximowicziana (Ko Miyama Sumire)


Viola maximowicziana (Ko Miyama Sumire)
Backside of the leaf.






Can you see the sepals curling up?
萼片がカールして反り返っているのが見えますか？


Polygala japonica (Hime Hagi)
ヒメハギって、本当に面白い顔してますよね。


Viola mandshurica (Sumire)


Viola verecunda (Nyoi Sumire)


Viola verecunda (Nyoi Sumire)
こんな洒落た色合いのニョイスミレもありました。


Deutzia crenata (Utsugi)
もう五月、ウツギの白が緑にまぶしい季節です。


Meehania urticifolia (Rashoumon Kazura)

Kori to Mt. Mitake (May 4th)

View from a bridge near Kori sta.

Today's course:
JR Kori sta. - Mt. Ootsuka - Mt. Mitake - walked down to the river - JR Mitake sta.

We climbed up to Mt. Mitake from Kori station for the first time today. On the way to the ridge to Mt. Ootsuka, we saw lots of Viola bisseti (Nagaba no Sumire Saishin) leaves, which grew bigger after flowering. The spring green leaves are so beautiful on the ridge and found some Viola sieboldi (Fumoto Sumire) here and there to Mt. Ootsuka and Mt. Mitake. At the top of Mt. Mitake we found lots of Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo sumire), but that kind was practically the only kind of violet you could see there this time of the year. Viola bisseti (Nagaba no Sumire Saishin) and Viola eizanensis (Eizan Sumire) plants got bigger leaves left on the ground without flowers. On the way down to the cable car station at the bottom of the mountain we found some Viola keiskei (Maruba sumire) here and there. There were lots and lots of people and cars there. There was even traffic jam for the cars waiting for the parking lots on the way to the cable car station. At the river we soaked our feet and drank some beer, and then took trains back home from Mitake sta.

古里駅から大塚山経由で御岳山に行ってきました。新緑の色合いもだいぶ深みを増してきたように感じます。奥多摩方面もGWのためか多くの人でにぎわってい ました。大塚山周辺ではフモトスミレが見られましたが、アケボノスミレもほとんど終わりかけで、ナガバノスミレサイシンは大きな葉だけを残しています。御 岳山頂上周辺ではタチツボスミレが沢山咲いていましたが、その他のスミレは花期を過ぎたようです。頂上から下る立派な杉並木ではマルバスミレをまだ見るこ とができました。多摩川の冷たい水に足をつけて、ビールを飲んで休憩した後、御嶽駅より帰路に着きました。



Viola sieboldi (Fumoto Sumire)


Viola keiskei (Maruba Sumire)


Viola keiskei (Maruba Sumire)
上の形のものよりもこちらの方が良く見かけるような感じでしょうか。

Mt. Jinba from Fujino Sta. (May 3rd)

Wild wisteria at Fujino.

Today's course:
JR Fujino Sta. - Ichi-no-one ridge - Mt. Jinba (857 m) -Narako Pass - Narako ridge - JR Fujino Sta.

Today we went to climb Mt. Jinba for the first time. Fujino town is pretty beautiful place covered with spring green and you could see the wild wisteria flowers here and there in the mountains. Quite a few house yards also had the wisteria flowers, so we could even smell the sweet smell in the breeze. We climbed mostly under the hardwood forest, which had still early-spring soft green leaves. There weren't so many violets we could find, but there were lots of Disporum smilacinum (Chigo Yuri) flowers covered the ground under the forests. We had lunch at the top of Mt. Jinba, and then took another trail back to the Fujino station. Somehow, we both felt it was pretty easy hike all the way. We were back to the station early enough to get the free bus to a hot spring place, Higashiotaru-no-yu, which is runned by a hospital right next to it. The hot spring water is alkarine (ph 9.73) and the place is middle of no where surrounded by the mountains. We enjoyed the hot spring for 3 or 4 hours and then took the free bus back to the station and took trains back home.

藤野駅から 陣馬山に行ってきました。駅からほんの少し歩いただけで緑あふれる景色に囲まれる、想像以上に素敵なところでした。新緑の中、あちらこちらで藤の花が咲 いていました。スミレ類はあまり見られないようでしたが、新緑の足元では、チゴユリが地面を埋め尽くさんばかりに咲き競っていました。下山後、駅へ戻る途 中、無人販売所でコシアブラを購入して、駅から無 料の送迎バスに乗り、ふじの温泉「東尾垂の湯」で疲れを癒してきました。内湯は１００％、源泉かけ流しらしく、肌がすっきりとする感じのとてもよい温泉 でした。


Disporum smilacinum (Chigo Yuri)


Viola phalacrocarpa (Akane Sumire)


The statue of horse at the top of Mt. Jinba.


Fujino Spa "Higashiotaru-no-yu".

Haha no Shirataki, Kawaguchiko (April 30th)

Waterfall named Haha no Shirataki near Kawaguchi lake.

Today's course:
Kawaguchiko YH - Kawaguchiko sta. - by bus - Kawaguchi-kyoku-mae busstop - walked up to Haha no Shirataki waterfall -back to Kawaguchi Sengen shrine - Hot spring named Tensui -by bus - Kawaguchiko sta. - by trains - home.

For the last day of traveling around Kawaguchiko area, we were originally planned to hike up to Mt. Mitsutouge, but we noticed it was still too early for flowers up on the ridges of the mountains around there from the hike on Mt. Kurotake the day before, we decided to change our plan and went to see if any Viola mirabilis var. subglagra (Ibuki Sumire) beside the creek from Haha no Shirataki waterfall. I didn't expected we could see them so easy but actually we found some of them just in a while after we started the trail. However, we couldn't find the trail we wanted first and turned out to follow the car road up to the waterfall. The waterfall is much bigger and more interesting than I expected. From there, we could finally follow the trail right beside the creek and found lots of Viola mirabilis var. subglagra (Ibuki Sumire) plants. It was first time for us to see them, so we got excited and took bunch of the pictures. They spread pretty good at the area all the way down to the shrine, so at some of the place the violets were just starting and at the some of the place they were in peak, and at the other the flowers were nearly finishing. This violet has an interesting character. After flowering, the stem grows and the leaves comes out right beside the seed... It is hard to explain, but you can tell something weird is happening when you see some of the pictures after flowering below.

河口湖の旅、最終日は、予定を変更して母の白滝へ。もともとのは三つ峠 でゲンジスミレを探すという無謀な計画があったのですが、昨日の御坂周辺のハイクで 予想以上にこの辺は春が遅いらしいことに気が付いたのと、ちょっと歩くのは疲れてしまったので楽をしたいという怠け心から予定を変更したのでした。この辺 りでイブキスミレを見たという情報をネットで見つけたことがあったので、密かには狙っていたのですが、今回ようやく確かめに行くことができました。登り は、河口浅間神社から道を誤って車道をたどる羽目になったのですが、歩き始めて早々、早くもイブキスミレを見つけてしまいました。思っていたよりも大きめ でしっかりとした印象のスミレでした。その後、車道沿いにはタチツボスミレやらイカリソウやらが咲いていて、滝に一時間ほどでたどり着くと、そこにはナガ バノスミレサイシンが咲いていました。滝自体も想像していた以上に見ごたえのある立派な滝で、ここから、ようやっと沢沿いの道を見つけて下ることができま した。この沢沿いがイブキスミレの宝庫で、沢山の株が沢沿いに元気よく育っていました。場所によりこれから花のところもあれば、まさに花が咲いている箇所 もあり、もう終わりかけという場所もあって、このスミレの特徴である「花期の後、茎が伸びる」ということを目で実感することができました。



Viola bisseti (Nagaba no Sumire saishin)


Viola mirabilis var. subglagra (Ibuki Sumire)


Viola mirabilis var. subglagra (Ibuki Sumire)


This one is nearly finishing the flower. See a leaf is coming up to the flower.
この花は終わりに近いようで、同じ茎のちょっとしたの所まで葉っぱが差し迫っています。


The leaves coming all the way up to the bottom of the spur after flowering.
こんな感じに花の後、茎が伸びて葉っぱが一枚、二枚と対生しています。


Viola mirabilis var. subglagra (Ibuki Sumire) after flowering.
花の後の様子。


This one is also after flowering.
上から見るとこんな感じ。


実ができる頃には、そのすぐそばで葉っぱが対生しています。






花の形もすっとしていて清楚な印象。


花が咲いているときは、葉っぱのふちはゆるく巻いています。葉っぱは柔らかいです。


This one looks like a little bouquet.
こんな感じに自然とブーケに束ねたような花姿になる株が多いようでした。


Beautifuly shaped leaves and flowers.

Misaka Kurodake Area, Kawaguchiko (April 29th)

Mt. Fuji and Kawaguchi Lake from the viewspot near the top of Mt. Kurodake.

Today's course:
Kawaguchiko YH - Kawaguchiko sta. - by bus - Tenkachaya busstop -Mt. Misaka - Misaka Pass - Mt. Kurodake - Mt. Hafu - Shindou Pass - Ooishi busstop - by bus - Kawaguchiko sta. - back to the hostel.

For the second day at the Kawaguchiko area, we hiked the trail on the ridge of the moutains at the north of Kawaguchi lake. There was no single clound in the morning and we could see beautiful and clear view of Mt. Fuji and Kawaguchi lake down to the one side from the trail on the ridge and the snowed ridges of South Alps, Mt. Yatsugatake and even North Alps down to the other side. It was still to early for flowers to bloom on that ridge, so we couldn't find any violets except some Viola grypoceras (Tachitsubo Sumire), but on the way to Mt. Misaka we found one flower of Viola yazawana (Hime Sumire Saishin), and on the way to Mt. Korodake we found one Viola collina (Ezo Aoi Sumire) flower. Both of those we saw for the first time and we didn't expect see them there, so it was pretty exciting. Most of the other hikers passing didn't even care of them, though... We are getting crazy about the violets...
One the way to Mt. Kurodake we also saw some leaves of Erythronium japonicum (Katakuri), but it was still too early so there wasn't even single flower bud comming out yet.
From Shindou pass, we walked down to Ooishi area beside Kawaguchi lake. On the trail from the pass we found Viola orientalis (Kisumire) flowers here and there once again. No matter how many pictures I had taken at Asagiri on the day before, I took bunch of the pictures of them again. Because they are so cute flowers... Don't you think so?

河口湖YH滞在、2日目は、天下茶屋から御坂山、御坂峠、黒岳、破風山、新道峠から大石へ下るコースを歩きました。こ の辺りはまだまだ春が遅いらしく、タ チツボスミレも転々と咲いている程度で、花らしい花はほとんど見当たりませんでした。が、御坂山への登りでヒメスミレサイシンを1輪、黒岳へ向かう途中、 エゾアオイスミレを1輪見つけることができました。両方ともお初だったので、たった2輪の花ですが自分としてはかなり満足でした。何といってもこの日は雲 ひとつない快晴だったので、富士も綺麗に見られましたし、南アルプスも八ヶ岳も遠く北アルプスまで見渡すことができました。新道峠から大石へ下るスイッチ バックの繰り返しでは、愛らしいキスミレにまたもお目にかかることができました。


Viola yazawana (Hime Sumire Saishin)
お初のヒメスミレサイシン。


Viola yazawana (Hime Sumire Saishin)
最初はシコクスミレかとも迷ったのですが、萼辺の付属体に切れ込みは見当たらないし、葉っぱも展開が遅くてくるんと丸まっているし、ということで、ヒメスミレサイシンで大丈夫だと思います。


Viola collina (Ezo Aoi Sumire)
1輪だけちょこんと咲いていたエゾアオイスミレ。ビロードみたいな丸まったちっちゃい葉っぱがかわいいです。


Viola orientalis (Kisumire)
ここでもキスミレたちが咲いてくれていました。


Cute little flower looks like the face of a red panda.
こんなにも愛くるしいレッサーパンダ顔の秘密は、上弁、側弁に比べて、下弁がアンバランスにちっちゃいから、でしょうか…


This one wants to look up the sky.
青空を見ようとのけぞり返ってしまってます。


It is so bright in the sun shine.
日の光を浴びていっそう鮮やかに…