Lithocarpus Edulis (Japanese Stone Oak) 馬刀葉椎（マテバシイ）

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

These are the nuts of lithocarpus edulis or more commonly the Japanese stone oak. The nuts are edible, tasting like chestnuts when baked (according to a website). I often picked the acorns when I was a child but I saw green acorns (2nd photo) for the first time.  

In Japan, the nuts of fagaceae trees are collectively called "donguri" and there's a famous song for children about an acorn falling into a pond "Donguri korokoro (i.e., Rolling acorn)."    

When these pale brown acorns turn dark brown, I hope the temperature and the number of Covid-19 patients will both become lower... 

Lithocarpus edulis nuts 馬刀葉椎の実

Acorns in mid-August 8月中旬

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

Styrax Japonicus (Japanese Snowbell) 野茉莉（エゴノキ）

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

I enjoyed pretty tiny white flowers in April, and at that time I didn't expect such white flowers to become such tiny dark brown drupes in these photos. They are the drupes of styrax japonicus or Japanese snowbell although they're no longer "snowbell"😆 

The drupes are bitter and that's why the tree is called "bitter tree" in Japan. 

Styrax japonicus 野茉莉

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

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

Last year, I wrote about these beautiful white flowers assuming they were ornithogalum umbellatum or more commonly known as star of Bethlehem. Several days ago this year, I found the flowers again and started writing about them when a question came to my mind, i.e., does the star of Bethlehem flower in spring?

I googled and found that they're zephyranthes candida with common names including autumn zephyrlily. The six white petals with the yellow stamens are so pretty, but the star of Bethlehem and zephyrlily are so alike in terms of not only appearance but also toxicity. Both are toxic and zephyrlily's leaves and bulbs contain potentially lethal toxins😱

Autumn zephyrlily means "pure love" and "expectation."

Zephyranthes candida 玉簾

Autumn zephyrlily タマスダレ

Dendropanax Trifidus 隠れ蓑（カクレミノ）

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

These are the fruits of dendropanax trifidus. A mass of tiny, whitish green fruits are so beautiful and cute! 

In Japan, the tree is called "invisibility cloak" because the leaf looks like Tengu's magic cloak, which makes the wearer invisible like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak. Tengu are a type of mischievous yokai (supernatural beings) appearing in Japanese folklore. Imagining Harry Potter wearing Tengu's cloak made me chuckle😆

Dendropanax trifidus leaves change generally from a lobed to an ovate shape but some aren't lobed or ovate, which makes it difficult to identify the tree.  

Dendropanax trifidus 隠れ蓑

Phytolacca Americana (Pokeweed) 洋種山牛蒡（ヨウシュヤマゴボウ）

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

This is phytolacca americana, also known as American pokeweed. I knew of this plant, but didn't know it has such tiny flowers. Another thing I didn't know is that all parts of the plant, i.e., the rootstocks, leaves, stems, and ripe fruit, are all toxic, which has made me hesitant to touch any plants recently...😱

Phytolacca Americana 洋種山牛蒡

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

Ipomoea Coccinea (Red Morning Glory) 丸葉縷紅（マルバルコウ）

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

The orange flower hiding under the bright green leaves stopped me. This is ipomoea coccinea or more commonly known as red morning glory or redstar. It's still hot during the day, but Tokyo has felt a slight autumn breeze in early morning for the last week😊 

Ipomoea coccinea 丸葉縷紅