Oxalis Corniculata (Creeping Woodsorrel) 酢漿草（カタバミ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Oxalis corniculata (yellow) or more commonly known as creeping woodsorrel at Yanaka Cemetery in Ueno, Tokyo. The cemetery is large and famous for its beautiful cherry blossoms in spring, but these small roadside flowers in autumn are not bad, are they? 

2022/10/31

2022/10/31

Allium Tuberosum (Garlic Chives) 韮（ニラ）

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

Things change and so do Allium tuberosum or garlic chives. The beautiful white flowers of garlic chives in early September (2nd photo) have died but they're now ready to disperse seeds, which look like black sesame seeds! 

Allium tuberosum 韮

Amphicarpaea Edgeworthii Var. Japonica (Chinese Hog Peanut) 藪豆（ヤブマメ）

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

These are flowers of Amphicarpaea edgeworthii var. japonica or more commonly known as Chinese hog peanut. The plant is called in Japanese "bush pea" and they were literally in the bush.

The fruits of Chinese hog peanut are edible and I always feel like trying edible weeds but stop short of doing. I have no guts to put them into my mouth...  

Amphicarpaea edgeworthii var. japonica 藪豆

Chinese hog peanut with skunk vine fruits ヤブマメと屁糞葛の実

Jamides Celeno (Common Cerulean)?? 小白波紋小灰蝶（コシロウラナミシジミ）？？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This looks like Jamides celeno or more commonly a common cerulean butterfly, but it can't be. Common ceruleans should be only in Taiwan. But still, this butterfly really resembles the common cerulean...

When I first saw this, I thought it was a piece of paper on a twig, but when approaching it, I started to think it might be a butterfly but was not sure because it has a pair of small black spots on the underside of the hindwings beside each hindwing tail and these black spots (which look like eyes) and the hindwing tails (which look like antennae) made the end of the hindwings look like the head, making me wonder if the butterfly had two heads??? 

According to Wikipedia, adult individuals of some butterflies in the Lycaenidae family have hairy antenna-like tails complete with black and white annulated (ringed) appearance and a spot at the base of the tail, and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation.... It worked. I was confused😅!!

Jamides celeno??　小白波紋小灰蝶？？

Common cerulean??　コシロウラナミシジミ？？

Salpichroa Origanifolia (Lily of the Valley Vine) 繁縷酸漿（ハコベホオズキ）

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

The flowers look like white enkianthus, but the leaf shape is different. I googled and found they're flowers of Salpichroa origanifolia or more commonly lilies of the valley vine. The white petals and something red protruding from them are so tiny and adorable, but despite such innocent looking, the plant is hated in Japan for its invasiveness.

Salpichroa origanifolia 繁縷酸漿

Lilies of the valley vine ハコベホオズキ

Kyllinga Brevifolia (Kyllinga Weed) 姫莎草（ヒメクグ）

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

These are inflorescences of Kyllinga brevifolia or more commonly kyllinga weed. They're a weed, but because of their tininess (less than 1 cm in diameter) and spiky shape, adorable. I had to squat down to take these photos and that was a good exercise😁.

Kyllinga brevifolia 姫莎草

Kyllinga weed ヒメクグ

Camellia Japonica (Japanese Camellia) 椿（ツバキ）

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

This is a fruit of Camellia japonica or more commonly known as Japanese camellia. It looks yummy (maybe because of the red color?) but is not edible and used to make oil for skin and hair in Japan.   

Camellia japonica 椿

Luffa Aegyptiaca (Sponge Gourd) 糸瓜（ヘチマ）

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

This is a fruit of Luffa Aegyptiaca or more commonly a sponge gourd. I walk by this almost every day but didn't notice it until today (how silly of me!). It's time to harvest and I saw a gardener watering the flowers nearby. So, I tried to have a chat with him to ask the fate of this gourd, but he was concentrating on watering. (If you're interested in why I had to be worried about the gourd's fate, read this post.)

Bitter gourds, as one of the summer vegetables, are very popular and eaten a lot across Japan but sponge gourds are known rather as a material of toner or scrubbing brushes. I've eaten sponge gourds only once or twice. Tomorrow, I will ask him if I can get it😄😊!!

Luffa aegyptiaca 糸瓜