Oxalis Bowiei and Oxalis Corniculata (Red-Flower Woodsorrel and Creeping Woodsorrel) 酢漿草（カタバミ）

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

These are Oxalis bowiei (pink) and Oxalis corniculata (yellow) or more commonly known as red-flower woodsorrel and 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?

 

Oxalis bowiei 花酢漿草

Oxalis corniculata 酢漿草

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）？？

Japanese follows English. 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？？

Pseudozizeeria Maha (Pale Grass Blue) 大和小灰蝶（ヤマトシジミ）

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

This is Pseudozizeeria maha or a pale grass blue butterfly. It's autumn in Japan and the temperature in the early morning goes down to 10°C (50°F) in Tokyo. Naturally, I've seen no butterflies in my neighborhood these days, but this one. It didn't move an inch while I was photographing it. The weather was cold but sunny. I just hope it was able to warm up.   

Pseudozizeeria maha (pale grass blue) 大和小灰蝶（ヤマトシジミ）

Fruits of Melaleuca Viminalis (Weeping Bottlebrush) ブラシの木の実

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I thought at first the tree was sick, but these small bumps or galls on the branches are organized for something caused by sickness. They're fruits of Melaleuca viminalis or more commonly known as weeping bottlebrush. If you want to know why the tree is called bottlebrush, read this post. You will see why😆!

Fruits of Melaleuca viminalis ブラシの木の実

Triadica Sebifera (Chinese Tallow) 南京櫨（ナンキンハゼ）

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

The fruits of triadica sebifera or Chinese tallow have finally started to split!! The bright green at the beginning (4th photo) is beautiful, but their change from the green to black (3rd), preparing to crack, then showing pure white seeds is breathtaking, isn't it! The leaves of Chinese tallow also change color beautifully. 

 

Triadica sebifera 南京櫨

Chinese tallow ナンキンハゼ

Cerasus Subhirtella (October Cherry) 十月桜

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

These cherry trees have finally started to bloom. They're Cerasus subhirtella or more commonly October cherry, which flower in not only spring but in mid-autumn to winter as the name suggests. October cherry blossoms are not as gorgeous as others, but I love these small pinkish white blossoms because of their quiet beauty. If you're interested in cherry blossoms in Japan, read the following posts:

• Yoshino cherry (prunus x yedoensis)
• Taiwan cherry, Formosan cherry or bellflower cherry (prunus campanulata)
• Oshima cherry (prunus speciosa) - white Oshima; pink Oshima 
• Ichiyo cherry (prunus lannesiana 'Hisakura') - Oshima cherry's kid
• Yoko cherry (prunus campanulata 'Yoko')
• Nanking cherry (prunus tomentosa)
• Weeping Yoshino cherry (prunus lannesiana Wilson 'Sendai Shidare')
• Fugenzo cherry (cerasus sato-zakura group ‘albo-rosea’ Makino)
• Yellow Cherry (cerasus sato-zakura group 'Gioiko' Koidz)
• Prunus Lannesiana 'Sekiyama' (Kanzan Cherry)
• Cerasus Jamasakura (Mountain Cherry)

Cerasus subhirtella 十月桜 

Ilex Rotunda (Kurogane Holly) 黒鉄黐（クロガネモチ）

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

These are fruits of Ilex rotunda or more commonly called the Kurogane holly tree. They've changed the color from green to orange, then to red beautifully since mid September. Autumn is underway... 

10/16 Ilex rotunda 黒鉄黐

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。

These are fruits of Ternstroemia gymnanthera or more commonly the Japanese ternstroemia or Japanese cleyera tree. The fruits started to become red in mid August and now they've started to crack😊!

Japanese ternstroemia is androdioecious, meaning some trees bear bisexual flowers while others bearing male flowers. Naturally, bisexual trees can have fruits but male ones can't. 

 

Ternstroemia gymnanthera 木斛

Japanese ternstroemia モッコク

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

Clematis Terniflora (Sweet Autumn Clematis) 仙人草（センニンソウ）

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These are flowers of Clematis terniflora or more commonly known as sweet autumn clematis. They're so beautiful (especially when swaying in the breeze) but as other flowers disguising themselves, sweet autumn clematis is toxic to humans and animals and its one of the Japanese names is "horses don't eat (the plant)"😁! 

Clematis terniflora 仙人草

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

Passiflora Caerulea (Bluecrown Passionflower) 時計草（トケイソウ）

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Tick tock, tick tock.... It's 10:15:40 a.m... It looks like a clock🕙, isn't it? This is Passiflora caerulea or more commonly bluecrown passionflower. I've wanted to see the flower closely so much for the last couple of years because the plant in my neighborhood has grown up to several meters tall with all the flowers high up a tree😞. Then, I found this bluecrown passionflower, seemingly with no support (last photo), which means that I was able to take close-up shots!! The flower, especially yellow green stamens and purple stigmas, is beautiful both from the above and from the side!!

In Japan, the bluecrown passionflower is called "clock plant" because of its appearance.  

Passiflora caerulea 時計草

Bluecrown passionflower トケイソウ

Camellia Japonica (Japanese Camellia) 椿（ツバキ）

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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

Platanus × Acerifolia (London Plane) 紅葉葉鈴懸の木（モミジハスズカケノキ）

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

It's a bit too early for autumn leaves in Japan, but the fruits are so cute and the leaves (2nd photo) are so beautiful, aren't they? This is Platanus × acerifolia or more commonly known as a London plane tree, i.e., a hybrid of oriental plane and American sycamore. Their beauty is appreciated by not only humans but stink bugs (3rd and 4th photos)😁!

A fruit of Platanus × acerifolia 紅葉葉鈴懸の果実

London plane tree モミジハスズカケノキ

Pseudocydonia Sinensis (Chinese Quince) 花梨（カリン）

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These are fruits of Pseudocydonia sinensis or Chinese quinces. They're still yellow green, waiting to be ripen. Last year I got two of them at Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Tokyo for free and made Chinese quince jam. I want to make it again this year, but not from these quinces. The tree has a sign (2nd photo) saying "Do not pick fruit. They belong to the land owner"...😭 

Pseudocydonia sinensis 花梨

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

Pomegranate 柘榴

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This is a pomegranate I found while taking a morning walk. I saw several hanging from the tree, but they're were too high to reach. This one must have fallen from the tree because it's too ripe. The skin had some spots, but still, the deep red color was so beautiful.

If you're interested in a pomegranate made from agate, read this post! That one is also beautiful!!      

Pomegranate　柘榴

Tricyrtis Formosana (Toad Lily) 台湾杜鵑草（タイワンホトトギス）

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

These are flowers of tricyrtis formosana. They're more commonly known as Taiwanese toad lilies because of their spots while they're called "lesser cuckoo" in Japan also because of the spots. The spots look like a toad's skin in the west though the chest plumage of this small bird in Japan. Different people, different views.  

Tricyrtis formosana 台湾杜鵑草

Toad lily タイワンホトトギス

Osmanthus Fragrans (Sweet Osmanthus) 金木犀（キンモクセイ）

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They're so tiny. The color is pale orange not that conspicuous. But don't underestimate the power of their fragrance! These are clusters of Osmanthus fragrans or more commonly sweet osmanthus flowers. They smell so good but because of their tininess, I couldn't locate the shrub for two days.

 

Osmanthus fragrans 金木犀