Abelia x 'Edward Goucher' and Abelia x Grandiflora ‘Confetti’ 花衝羽根空木（アベリア）

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

They are both abelia. The pink one is abelia x 'Edward Goucher' or more commonly known as pink abelia and the white one is abelia x grandiflora ‘Confetti’ or abelia Confetti. 

The flowers have been in bloom for the last couple of months, but they're in full bloom now in my neighborhood with the white and pink blossoms side by side (3rd photo).

Abelia x 'Edward Goucher' アベリア

Acrida Cinerea (Chinese Grasshopper) 精霊蝗虫（ショウリョウバッタ）

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

Can you see that? If not, take a look at the second photo. This is acrida cinerea or more commonly known as Chinese grasshopper. It landed on a leaf just in front of me when I was taking photos of skunk vines. The green colors of the grasshopper and the leaves are so beautiful!! 

The grasshopper has several Japanese names, including "Heaven and Earth grasshopper" because of the big size difference between the males and females like "Heaven and Earth." Acrida cinerea males are typically 4 to 5 cm (1.6 to 2.0 inch) long while the females are 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 inch).

Acrida cinerea 精霊蝗虫

Ilex Integra (Elegance Female Holly) モチノキ

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

These are the fruits of ilex integra or elegance female holly. They're 1 cm in diameter, and some are red while others still green for a reason.  

The tree has a natural enemy, i.e., a wasp "macrodasyceras hirsutum Kamijo." The baby wasps lay eggs within ilex integra seeds in summer, and in autumn, the wasp larvae stop the fruit changing from green to red (wow!) to prevent the red ripe fruits from being eaten by birds, which usually eat red fruits, spreading the seeds around and helping the plants' reproduction.

These green fruits may be naturally green or stopped by the larvae from turning red, but either way, ilex integra and the wasp both are fighting for their survival.  

Ilex integra モチノキ

Zephyranthes Candida (Autumn Zephyrlily) 玉簾（タマスダレ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Zephyranthes candida, also known as autumn zephyrlilies. Their six white petals and yellow stamens are so pretty, but the Star of Bethlehem and the zephyrlily look and act a lot alike. Both are toxic, and the zephyrlily's leaves and bulbs contain potentially lethal poisons 😱. The autumn zephyr lily stands for pure love and anticipation.

2021/8/26

Hibiscus ハイビスカス

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

A variety of hibiscuses have been blooming across Japan, and I love these bright red ones because they remind me of my childhood in the Kagoshima prefecture where the beautiful nature, i.e., not only many flowers and trees but also bugs and even snakes, laid out the foundation for my later interest in writing about flowers and bugs on this blog.

Kagoshima is the most southern prefecture in mainland Japan. When I first arrived there, such bright red hibiscuses and sashimi of kibinago or silver-stripe round herring welcomed me. I was seven or eight years old, worrying about what would happen to me. That was the first school transfer for me, and I didn't know that was just the first of six transfers of elementary and junior high schools succeeding after that...   

I haven't been there since then, but red hibiscuses always remind me of Kagoshima, making me smile...  

Hibiscus ハイビスカス

Raphiolepis Indica Var. Umbellata F. Integerrima (Round-Leaf Yeddo Hawthorn) 丸葉車輪梅（マルバシャリンバイ）

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

These are the fruits of raphiolepis indica var. umbellata f. integerrima (too long!) or more commonly known as round-leaf Yeddo hawthorn. I wasn't that interested in the flowers, but these fruits are so round and so cute, and their green and purple color is so beautiful! I love them. 

The fruits seem edible but according to a blog post, they're edible but not tasty, and the idea of eating them made me feel gross because these lovely fruits reminded me of Medama Oyaji (literally meaning "eyeball father"), i.e., one of the main characters of "GeGeGe no Kitaro." "GeGeGe no Kitaro" is a Japanese manga series about monsters, created in 1960 by Shigeru Mizuki and enjoyed by Japanese people for more than a half century. Medama Oyaji is a lovely father helping his son Kitaro with his vast knowledge, and is my favorite character of the series.    

Raphiolepis indica var. umbellata f. integerrima 丸葉車輪梅

Protaetia Orientalis Submarumorea 白点花潜（シロテンハナムグリ）

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

I first thought a scarab was coming from behind the lantana leaves, but the color was different. It was brown with white spots on its back. I googled and learned that it was a protaetia orientalis submarumorea.

Protaetia orientalis submarumorea are flower chafers, and the Japanese name is shiroten hanamuguri, meaning "flower chafer with white spots." Unlike green June beetles, which may cause damage to crops, flower chafers are beneficial insects😊

Protaetia orientalis submarumorea 白点花潜

Flower chafer シロテンハナムグリ

Green Female Conifer Cone (Pinecone) 雌の緑松笠（松ぼっくり）

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

They're male and female conifer cones or pine cones. The green ones are female while the brown ones in the 2nd photo are male. I've seen many pine cones, but they were all brown, and I've never thought about their sex. The matcha green female pine cones are so beautiful!

Pine has male and female trees, and they're mostly monoecious. Naturally, this pine tree should have male and female pine cones on the same tree and voila! I've found bigger female pine cones and smaller male ones side by side!!

Chocolate vine, which I wrote about yesterday, is also monoecious, and has male and female flowers on the same vine. And you know what? A chocolate vine female flower is also bigger than the male one😁!!     

Female conifer cone 雌の松ぼっくり

Fruit of Cornus Kousa (Kousa Dogwood) 山法師（ヤマボウシ）の実

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

The 1st and 2nd photos are of Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood fruits. Their skin is bumpy, but the fruit itself is tiny and cute. And the 3rd to 6th photos are of the flowers I took in early May.   

I've belatedly shared these flower photos taken in May for a reason. When taking these flower pictures, I assumed that Cornus kousa and Cornus florida were the same because they were flowering almost at the same time and looked alike. So, I wrote about only Cornus florida flowers and not about Cornus kousa.

Unlike the flowers, however, the fruits of Cornus kousa and Cornus florida are completely different in terms of not only the shape but also edibility. Cornus kousa fruits can be eaten raw or used to make jam or liquor but Cornus florida fruits aren't edible. I look forward to seeing Cornus kousa fruits ripen to red😊!! 

Cornus kousa fruit 山法師の実

Netsuke "Ladybird on Sweet Pepper" 根付「ピーマンにてんとう虫」

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This 4 cm ivory sculpture is the netsuke titled 'Ladybird on sweet pepper' at the Tokyo National Museum. It was carved by Seiho Azuma. 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).

This sweet pepper netsuke is white, but imagine a green pepper with a red, black-spotted ladybug on its back! It would be so colorful and beautiful. 🌶🐞 If you love netsuke, check out  this list to discover over 40 amazing pieces!

"Ladybird on sweet pepper," Seiho Azuma, ivory 「ピーマンにてんとう虫」東声方 象牙

Morning Glories Need 9 Hours of Sleep😉 アサガオは9時間睡眠😉

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These pink and purple ipomoea nil or Japanese morning glories are so beautiful. I found them on August 12. 

August 12 is five days after the Liqiu or the beginning of autumn in the Chinese calendar. The Liqiu in Japan this year was August 7, but it's still hot and many morning glories, i.e., the symbol of summer together with sunflowers in Japan, are still in bloom.

People believe that morning glory flowers open in the morning, but that's not true. They open in the morning in summer, but as the days get shorter, they open in the middle of the night because they wake up nine hours after it gets dark. Morning glory goes to sleep as it gets dark and wakes up after nine hours of sleep. They live healthy lives!😉 

2021/8/12