Commelina Communis (Asiatic Dayflower) 露草（ツユクサ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Almost all the flowers are gone in my neighborhood. And these are the only flowers I saw this morning, i.e., Commelina communis, commonly known as the Asiatic dayflower. The bug (in the 1st photo) must have been relieved to find a place for breakfast. 

Commelina communis 露草

A Cicada Shell on Japanese Snowbell Fruit エゴノキの実とセミの抜け殻

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I need something... something like the ability to hang in there, like this cicada shell on a fruit of Styrax japonicus or more commonly Japanese snowbell😆! The tree entertains us through the year with its pretty bell-shaped white and PALE PINK flowers and gross but pretty galls (which contain many many bugs)😱!! Now I look forward to seeing these fruits turning brown like almonds. 

A cicada shell on Japanese snowbell fruit　エゴノキの実とセミの抜け殻

Lespedeza (Japanese Bush Clover) 萩（ハギ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're the flowers of lespedeza or Japanese bush clovers. I thought it was too early for it to bloom. So, I googled and learned that lespedeza flowers from July to September but less when it's hot. I see...

Lespedeza 萩

A Lonely Aster 一人ぼっちのアスター

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Is this a lonely aster or a pioneer migrant to this newly redeveloped area? I don't know. It was in full bloom in an area in which high-rise residential buildings have been completed just recently in my neighborhood. The area had been levelled with all plants being removed, but now is welcoming not only people but also plants, including this red and yellow aster. The aster is now alone with two buds (3rd photo), but should be joined by its family and friends soon😊.

A lonely aster 一人ぼっちのアスター

Silene Vulgaris (Bladder Campion) 白玉草（シラタマソウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Plants attract you by many things, e.g., color, smell, or taste. Silene vulgaris or bladder campion attracts me by its flower shape, which is represented in its Japanese name "shiratama plant," meaning "small mochi dumpling plant." The dumplings are used to make traditional Japanese sweets, often served with sweet red bean paste. My mom made fruit punch including shiratama mochi dumplings for my birthday when I was a kid.

  

Next day, I went there again to see the flowers, finding everything around there, not only weeds but also the bladder campion, had all been got rid of and replaced by other plants😂.  

Silene vulgaris 白玉草

Netsuke "Mermaid" 人魚木彫根付

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a netsuke shaped like a mermaid at the Tokyo National Museum. It's 4 to 5 cm long, carved from wood in the 19th century. The carver is unknown.

I was surprised at this netsuke because it's not what I imagined a mermaid to be. (It doesn't look like the Little Mermaid at all!) I googled and was more surprised that in Japan, The Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan) referred to mermaids as early as in the 6th century. Japan also has a legendary Buddhist nun who lived to 800 years old by eating the flesh of a mermaid. Wow, the concepts of mermaids significantly vary between countries!   

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono (Source: Lexico). If you love netsuke, see this list to see dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke "Mermaid" 人魚木彫根付

A List of Netsuke 根付のリスト

Japanese follows English. 日本語リストはこちら。

This is a list of netsuke items posted on this blog.

Fruits of Ilex Integra (Elegance Female Holly)? モチノキの実？

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These "may be" the fruits of Ilex integra or more commonly the elegance female holly or mochi tree at the Tokyo National Museum. I said "may be" because I'm not sure...

Many of the fruits were scattered on the ground before turning red. The unusual weather may be why. This year, the rainy season ended in late June, nearly one month earlier than usual and it became extremely hot. Then the rainy weather came back.   

Looking at these fruits made me (wrongly😅) feel autumn was coming for a second until I found several mosquitos biting me🦟. The real summer has yet to come...

Fruits of Ilex integra? モチノキの実？

Elegance female holly? モチノキの実？

Don't Stand Out! - An Orange and Black Caterpillar イモムシくん、目立ち過ぎでしょ！

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Some areas in my neighborhood have been redeveloped, meaning everything on the ground is got rid of regularly to create space new high-rise residential or commercial buildings. I found this caterpillar in one such area. But don't underestimate the strength of weeds (which is why I love them)! They've grown so fast that now the area is a haven for not only weeds but also bugs including this beautiful orange and black caterpillar. My only concern is that it could attract unwanted attraction from predators because of such conspicuousness (2nd photo). 

Netsuke "Kappa and Clam" 河童蛤角彫根付

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a netsuke "Kappa and Clam" at the Tokyo National Museum. It's 4 to 5 cm long, carved from ivory in the 19th century. The carver is unknown. 

Size-wise, this netsuke is wrong because the clam is too large or the kappa is too small. Kappa, which are Japanese legendary creatures, are human-like beings except that they're green with webbed hands and feet, a turtle-like carapace on their back, and a dish to contain water on their head. They're said to die if the dish dries or is broken. They're also said to like cucumbers🥒, but this kappa must like clams better than cucumbers... 

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono (Source: Lexico). If you love netsuke, see this list to see dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke "Kappa and Clam"  河童蛤角彫根付

Fruits of Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) 山法師の実

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are fruits of Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood or Japanese dogwood. It's known that white and pink kousa dogwood flowers are beautiful but its fruits are also pretty. The thing is that this year, the rainy season in Japan finished in late June, i.e., nearly one month earlier than usual, it became extremely hot right after the rainy season, like 40°C or 104°F, and now kousa dogwood trees, which usually produce fruits in September, have started to fruit much earlier than usual. What will happen next?    

Kousa dogwood 山法師

Cornus kousa ヤマボウシ

Netsuke "Kappa" 根付「河童」

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a netsuke "Kappa" by Kenji Abe at the Tokyo National Museum. It's about 5 cm tall, carved from ivory and tortoiseshell. 

Kappa are Japanese legendary creatures. They're green (although the netsuke is cream white because it's made from ivory), human-like beings with webbed hands and feet, a turtle-like carapace on their back, and a dish to contain water on their head. They're said to die if the dish dries or is broken and like cucumbers. 

Kappa are the company character of a sake brewery in Kyoto. I planned to go to its restaurant Kappa Country for this summer holiday, but cancelled the trip because of increasing Covid-19 cases😂. 

A netsuke is a small carved ornament, especially of ivory or wood, worn as part of Japanese traditional dress as a toggle by which an article may be attached to the sash of a kimono (Source: Lexico). If you love netsuke, see this list to see dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke "Kappa" by Kenji Abe　阿部賢次作「河童」

Elaeocarpus Sylvestris (Woodland Elaeocarpus) ホルトノキ

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I wish they were all spin mops cleaning the floor of my house while I'm sleeping like the elves in The Elves and the Shoemaker! These are the flowers of Elaeocarpus sylvestris or more commonly the woodland elaeocarpus. I like its beautiful green fruits but the flowers always make me smile and sigh. I love cooking but not cleaning...  

Flowers of Elaeocarpus sylvestris ホルトノキの花

Chinese Cucumber is Growing! 黄烏瓜（キカラスウリ）大きくなってます！

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii or more commonly known as Chinese cucumber in my neighborhood. I enjoyed its beautiful white flowers and the flowers with Aulacophora nigripennis (a tiny black and orange bug) and Oxyopes sertatus Latrelle (a beautiful pale orange spider), and now have been observing the growth of its fruits. 

Chinese cucumbers are edible, but I've never had or seen them sold. I googled to find how they taste, but only found negative comments. They're sweet but overall astringent, not tasty and that's why they're called in Japanese "yellow gourd for crows," meaning only crows eat the yellow gourds...😂 

But that's not the end of the story! Chinese cucumbers are used for Chinese herbal medicine to reduce fevers, swelling and coughing. I really look forward to seeing the fruit turn yellow😊   

A fruit of Trichosanthes kirilowii 黄烏瓜の実

A Chinese cucumber キカラスウリ

Paederia Foetida (Skunkvine) 屁糞葛（ヘクソカズラ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are the flowers of Paederia foetida or more commonly skunkvine! The glossy red center of the flowers always reminds me of jam thumbprint cookies, which then remind me of the Russia-Ukraine war these days because the cookies are often called in Japan "Russian cookies." The war is still going on and former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead last week. They're completely separate incidents but both made me realize that something which I believed would never happen in my life (i.e., war between the so-called developed countries and gun violence in Japan by non-yakuza) could happen.   

P.S. The murder of Abe is not terrorism. To know why, please read this post.   

Paederia foetida 屁糞葛

Skunkvine ヘクソカズラ

Two Species of Oenothera 松宵草たち（マツヨイグサの仲間）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Because of the recent heatwave across Japan, almost all flowers in my neighborhood are gone but these Oenothera flowers. The flowers resemble each other but the Oenothera in the 1st photo are much shorter than that in the 2nd photo. This is understandable because they are of two different species.   

• 1st photo: Oenothera stricta or Chilean evening primrose
• 2nd photo: Oenothera biennis or common evening-primrose

According to Wikipedia, the Oenothera has more than 140 species.

Oenothera stricta or Chilean evening primrose 松宵草（マツヨイグサ）

Oenothera biennis or common evening-primrose 雌待宵草（メマツヨイグサ）

Hibiscus Moscheutos (Swamp Rose-Mallow) アメリカ芙蓉（アメリカフヨウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

You usually go to see flowers to enjoy their color, shape, or fragrance, don' you? In my case, tininess is another factor, but Hibiscus moscheutos or the swamp rose-mallow attracts me for another reason, SIZE😁! I go to see the flower for its largeness, which makes me smile and even laugh, and these gigantic hibiscus flowers even made me forget the recent heatwave in Japan!  

Swamp rose-mallow アメリカ芙蓉

Vitex Rotundifolia (Beach Vitex) 浜栲（ハマゴウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These're the flowers of Vitex rotundifolia or beach vitex. I love their beautiful pale blue purple color so much that I bought a T-shirt of the same color😆!! 

Vitex rotundifolia 浜栲

Hibiscus Hamabo 浜朴（ハマボウ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Hibiscuses in various colors have started to bloom in my neighborhood and this is my favorite, Hibiscus hamabo or hardy yellow hibiscus. I love the stark contrast between its lemon yellow petals and deep red flower center. (And don't forget that in autumn the leaves beautifully turn yellow, red and reddish purple!)

Hibiscus hamabo 浜朴

Cophinopoda Chinensis 青眼虻（アオメアブ）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Cophinopoda chinensis. Its iridescent eyes were so beautiful that I was completely absorbed while taking these pictures. What I found at home, however, made me shiver. Cophinopoda chinensis is a genus of robber flies or more commonly known as assassin flies and as this common name suggests, they're very aggressive and predatory😱. I was lucky that the "assassinator" didn't move an inch (maybe asleep)😅 while being photographed. 

  

Cophinopoda chinensis 青眼虻

Ternstroemia Gymnanthera (Japanese Ternstroemia) 木斛（モッコク）

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I like everything about Ternstroemia gymnanthera or more commonly the Japanese ternstroemia tree. It produces tiny fist shaped buds (3rd and 4th photos), tiny fragrant white flowers (1st and 2nd photos), and in autumn, deep red fruits, but something has been bothering me. Why do some trees produce flowers but others don't?

As usual, I googled and was surprised to learn that Japanese ternstroemia is androdioecious, meaning some bearing bisexual flowers (whose pistil is surrounded by stamens) while others bearing male flowers. And those I have seen and taken pictures of so far are all male flowers!! 

So now, I've been looking for bisexual flowers, believing that the trees with no flowers now will produce such flowers soon😊

P.S. The buds looked like fists to me at first, but now cat paws🐾😆 

Male flowers of Japanese ternstroemia 木斛の雄花

Male flowers of Ternstroemia gymnanthera モッコクの雄花

Japanese Maple Samara モミジの翼果

Japanese follows English. 英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These look like propellers, don't they? They're samaras of Japanese maple and as you can see, each is double-winged, containing two seeds. They can travel a long distance before landing using the wind, which is Japanese maple's strategy to expand its habitat. Amazing, isn't it! I wanna see them fly!! 

Samaras of Japanese maple モミジの翼果