Early Amethyst (Callicarpa Dichotoma) コムラサキ（小紫）

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These are flowers of early amethyst (Callicarpa dichotoma). They're so small that I was about to pass by. Early amethyst flowers are beautiful but the plant is more known for purple fruits and its Japanese name is komurasaki, meaning small purple.

Early amethyst (Callicarpa dichotoma)　コムラサキ（小紫）

Chaste Tree (Vitex Agnus-Castus) セイヨウニンジンボク（西洋人参木）

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These are flowers of a chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus). Without a carpenter bee flying, I would have passed by the tree. 

Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)　セイヨウニンジンボク（西洋人参木）

Male Flowers of Japanese Ternstroemia (Ternstroemia Gymnanthera) 木斛（モッコク）の雄花

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Japanese ternstroemia (Ternstroemia gymnanthera) trees are in full bloom. The Japanese ternstroemia bears male or hermaphroditic flowers and these flowers are all male. Many bees were hovering around the trees and one on a flower (2nd photo), suggesting the pollen should be very yummy for them🐝  

Male flowers of Japanese ternstroemia　木斛（モッコク）の雄花

Java Waterdropwort (Oenanthe Javanica) セリ

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This is Java waterdropwort (Oenanthe javanica). The plant is aromatic and edible in its entirety including the roots. One of my favorite recipes is ohitashi, i.e., boiling and seasoning them with bonito dashi stock and soy sauce.

Java waterdropwort (Oenanthe javanica)　セリ

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

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It rained heavily this morning, which made me a little blue. I don't like to take a walk in the rain. But rain sometimes does good things, like this, i.e., covering the green leaves and the deep blue flowers with beautiful water droplets. 

Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis)　露草（ツユクサ）

Skunkvine (Paederia Foetida) 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。

It's been a while since I last saw them. They're skunkvines (Paederia foetida). I wouldn't have noticed them if a tiny bug that looked like an ant but was flying like a bee (1st photo) had not been there. Thank you🐜🐝!  

Skunkvine (Paederia foetida) with a tiny bug　ヘクソカズラ（屁糞葛）とちっちゃい虫

Multiflowered Fish Mint (Houttuynia Cordata Var. Plenus) ヤエドクダミ（八重ドクダミ）

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I've finally found multi-flowered fish mints (Houttuynia cordata var. plenus)! Single flowered fish mints are everywhere at this time of year, but not multi-flowered ones. Fish mints are small and smelly (like fish), but multi-flowered fish mints are somewhat gorgeous, aren't they? 

Multiflowered fish mint　ヤエドクダミ（八重ドクダミ）

Spotted Bellflower (Campanula Punctata) ホタルブクロ（蛍袋）

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These are spotted bellflowers (Campanula punctata). It rained heavily yesterday, so the flowers were covered with water droplets. 

Spotted bellflower (Campanula punctata)　ホタルブクロ（蛍袋）

Japanese Pearlwort (Sagina Japonica) ツメクサ（詰草）

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These are Japanese pearlwort (Sagina japonica). The flowers are so small (2nd photo) that I didn't notice them at first. Its Japanese name is "Talon plant" after the leaf shape. 

Japanese pearlwort (Sagina japonica)　ツメクサ（詰草）

Common Myrtle (Myrtus Communis) ギンバイカ（銀梅花）

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These are flowers of common myrtle (Myrtus communis). The stark contrast between the pure white flowers and the deep green leaves, and the uncountable stamens are beautiful. 

Common myrtle (Myrtus communis)　ギンバイカ（銀梅花）

Japanese Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) ヤマボウシ（山法師）

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These are flowers of Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa). I like the flowers but when I saw the tree, I stood mouth agape. There are too many. Japanese dogwood is very similar to flowering dogwood, but Japanese dogwood is native to East Asia (including Japan) while flowering dogwood is native to North America. 

 Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa)　ヤマボウシ（山法師） 

Coprinopsis Lagopus (Hare’s Foot Inkcap)? 粗柄一夜茸（ザラエノヒトヨタケ）？

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This is a hare’s foot inkcap mushroom (Coprinopsis lagopus) or so I think. It started to dry, but it was still beautiful. When I was taking these photos, a dog approached me, starting to bark. Feeling I needed to say something, I said to the owner that I'd found a mushroom. He was surprised that a mushroom grew in a park. Few know that many wild plants and (not many but some) mushrooms grow in Central Tokyo.  

Hare’s foot inkcap (Coprinopsis lagopus)?　ザラエノヒトヨタケ（粗柄一夜茸）？

Hydrangea Serrata Var. 'Kurenai' 紅山紫陽花（クレナイヤマアジサイ）

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They're sepals (not petals) of dying mountain hydrangeas 'Kurenai' (Hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai'). I can't disregard the hydrangea because the sepals are much redder than those in full bloom. 

Dying hydrangea serrata var. 'Kurenai'
枯れかけの紅山紫陽花（クレナイヤマアジサイ）

Chinese Cucumber (Trichosanthes Kirilowii) キカラスウリ（黄烏瓜）

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I don't know why but I love hairy plants like these, Chinese cucumber (Trichosanthes kirilowii). I found them in a vacant lot in Central Tokyo. I don't know if someone has planted them or they have come from somewhere. 

Chinese cucumber (Trichosanthes kirilowii)　黄烏瓜（キカラスウリ）

Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) ザクロ（柘榴）

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The pomegranate (Punica granatum) in my neighborhood has started to fruit. Then, I've started to wonder. There're so many fruits. Can I have some? Or because the tree is in a public garden, does the harvest all belong to the city and is everyone prohibited from harvesting it? My sleepless nights continue😆... 

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)　ザクロ（柘榴）

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

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They're blue passionflowers (Passiflora caerulea), but don't you think there's something wrong with them? You do? Yes, their clock hands-like pistils are all closed and don't tell the time! (Their Japanese name is "clock plant.") I noticed it when, as always, I was seeing them wondering what time these clock-like flowers said. I googled and learned that blue passionflowers open in the morning. Their purple brown pistils or clock hands🕙 are still asleep😪! 

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

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These are lilies of the valley vine (Salpichroa origanifolia). They're so small and adorable, aren't they? At first I only saw the flowers but then noticed something black on them, which were ants! Ants were not on every flower but some, which I guess means that the nectar of the lilies must be delicious!

Lily of the valley vine (Salpichroa origanifolia)　ハコベホオズキ（繁縷酸漿）

Chinese Trumpet Vine (Campsis Grandiflora) ノウゼンカズラ（凌霄花）

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

The Chinese trumpet vines (Campsis grandiflora) I saw were so tall that I couldn't photograph them well or easily. So, these flowers, which I found this morning and are as tall as my shoulders, made me so happy! 

Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis Grandiflora)　ノウゼンカズラ（凌霄花）

Hydrangea Changing from Pale Green to White then to Pale Blue 薄緑から白そして薄青になる紫陽花

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Various hydrangeas are now in bloom in Japan and this is one of my favorite hydrangeas because of their color change from pale green to white then to pale blue. This year, however, I missed their color change, finding them almost pale blue.  

Hydrangea changing from pale green to white then to pale blue
薄緑から白そして薄青になる紫陽花

Popcorn Hydrangea (Hydrangea Macrophylla Ayesha) 渦紫陽花（ウズアジサイ）

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They're one of my favorite hydrangeas, popcorn hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla Ayesha). As you see, the name is after the shape of sepals (not petals!). You can see open sepals surrounded by closed popcorn-shaped sepals.

Popcorn hydrangea　渦紫陽花（ウズアジサイ）