Chlorophyllum Molybdites (False Parasol or Vomiter😱) 大白唐傘茸（オオシロカラカサタケ）

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

I was so lucky! I found these mushrooms during a morning walk. What am I going to make for dinner? Mushroom omelet, pasta or miso soup😁?   

I was thinking or hoping something like that when finding these mushrooms, which were 10 cm in diameter, appearing out of the blue after the rain. Of course, I didn't pick, just taking pictures of them. I thought that they might be edible, but had no courage(?) to try them.  

And I was right. They're chlorophyllum molybdites or more commonly known as false parasol or vomiter, which are poisonous, causing literally vomiting and diarrhea! Wow😱 One good thing about these mushrooms is that just touching them causes no harm. Phew! I touched them while taking these photos.... 

 

Chlorophyllum molybdites 大白唐傘茸

Oxalis Crassipes Alba (White Wood Sorrel) 白い酢漿草（カタバミ）

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

They're oxalis crassipes alba or more commonly known as white wood sorrel blooming at the garden of the Kujokan teahouse in Tokyo National Museum. The white color against the green leaves is so beautiful. 

I visit the museum several times a year, but these days I go there to see netsuke on show indoors and plants and bugs in the garden rather than paintings and artefacts. Sadly for the museum, but luckily for visitors, the museum is quiet and relaxing with few people. If you have a chance to come to Tokyo after the pandemic, you should definitely go there. After enjoying art, you can also enjoy nice Japanese food and sake in Yanaka Ginza district!    

Oxalis crassipes alba 白い酢漿草

Kujokan teachouse in Tokyo National Museum 東京国立博物館の九条館

Netsuke "Humpty Dumpty" 根付「ハンプティ・ダンプティ」

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

This 3 cm long porcelain is netsuke "Humpty Dumpty" on show at Tokyo National Museum, made by Lynn Richardson.

I didn't understand why this Humpty Dumpty netsuke was broken into three parts until reading the nursery rhyme below. I knew about Humpty and Dumpty but had thought that Lewis Carroll created the character for "Alice Through the Looking-Glass."

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

We don't understand the real meaning of something without the background information, and that's why I enjoy writing for this blog, which makes me do research on not only Humpty Dumpty but also flowers and bugs, deepening my understanding of things around me.

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). If you love netsuke, see this list to see dozens of netsuke items!

Netsuke "Humpty Dumpty" 根付「ハンプティ・ダンプティ」

Lespedeza Japonica Bailey cv. Versicolor (Variegated Bush Clover) 染め分け萩（ソメワケハギ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is lespedeza japonica Bailey cv. Versicolor or variegated bush clover at Tokyo National Museum. I've seen bush clovers with pink flowers, and I knew bush clovers have white flowers. I also knew that a peach and a Japanese apricot tree have red and white flowers on the same tree. But I didn't know that bush clovers can also have pink and white flowers on the same tree!!

It was my first visit to the museum for the last six months. I hadn't gone out for nearly half a year except for an early morning walk until yesterday, hoping that the Covid-19 situation would be better this autumn, but obviously it's not. Covid-19 positive cases in Japan/Tokyo "officially" have decreased, but severe cases are still more than the peak of the fourth wave. The reason is that the number of "known" cases may have decreased, but total cases including hidden ones must've increased, resulting in the increased severe cases and the collapse of the medical system in Tokyo and other areas. 

Japan is planning to lift the state of emergency on October 1 because of the "apparent" decrease in positive cases, but this means people, whether vaccinated or not, will start going out to enjoy eating and drinking. That's why I went to the museum before that happens. And sadly, I won't likely be able to go out for a while or don't know when I'll be able to visit the museum next time.      

Lespedeza japonica Bailey cv. Versicolor 染め分け萩

   

Variegated bush clover ソメワケハギ

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 tricyrtis formosana flowers or more commonly known as Taiwanese toad lilies. They didn't have flowers a few days ago, so they must've bloomed in the last couple of days while I was taking different routes for a morning walk.

Taiwanese toad lilies are different from Japanese ones. The Taiwanese one's stem branches into several stems and each stem has a flower at the top while the Japanese one doesn't have flowers at the top of the stem but at the axil. 

The plant is called toad lily because it has spots on the petals looking like a toad's skin, but that's different from how Japanese people see toad lilies. In Japan, they're called "lesser cuckoo" because, to Japanese people, the spots seem like the chest plumage of this small bird.

Tricyrtis formosana 台湾杜鵑草

Taiwanese toad lily タイワンホトトギス

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 the berries of ilex rotunda or commonly called the Kurogane holly. I've been seeing these berries changing from green to red for the last month. Compare those in the 1st and 2nd photos. 

The tree produces tiny white flowers in May and June, and I pass by the tree almost everyday, so I must've seen the flowers, but I don't remember seeing them at all😅. 

Kurogane holly is known to bring luck because its Japanese name "Kuroganemochi" is pronounced similarly to "Kuro ga nai kanemochi," which means "a rich person with no hardship."  

September 23 - Ilex rotunda 黒鉄黐

August 28 - Kurogane holly クロガネモチ

Elaeocarpus Sylvestris (Woodland Elaeocarpus) ホルトノキ

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

These are the fruits of elaeocarpus sylvestris or more commonly known as the woodland elaeocarpus tree. The buds and flowers (which look like cleaning mops😆) were both tiny, downward facing in July, but the egg shaped fruits were all upward facing in early August (2nd photo). Now, however, the fruits are downward facing again (1st photo) maybe because they're chubbier!! I LOVE💗 CHUBBY things!!

The tree is called "Portugal tree" in Japan. If you're interested in why, read this post😉

Elaeocarpus sylvestris fruits downward facing on September 20　
9月20日　ホルトノキの実は上向き

Elaeocarpus sylvestris fruits upward facing in early August
8月上旬　ホルトノキの実は上向き 

Quercus Myrsinifolia (Bamboo-Leaf Oak) Are Growing! 白樫（シラカシ）の実が成長しています！

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

Compare the acorns in the 1st and 2nd photos! See? They've got longer! 

These are the acorns of quercus myrsinifolia or more commonly known as bamboo-leaf oak. They both look like tiny spinning tops, but the acorns in the 2nd photo (early September) were chubbier, i.e., the length was shorter than the diameter, while in late September (1st photo) they're a little skinnier. It's like a chubby baby growing up to be a skinnier toddler, then like my husband! 

My husband was very chubby but grew up to be very skinny. So far so good, but after that, he'd gained weight and was officially diagnosed as being "fat😆." Back then, he was eating potato chips, ice cream, and chocolates every night after dinner😂. Now, however, thanks to the great effort of his lovely wife (who's me😁), he's lost not only weight but love handles👍! 

He'll have a medical check-up in a week, the first check-up after getting back to normal weight. He's been nervous for the last week. He knows he needs to change or will be FORCED😱 to change his diet depending on the checkup result...    

The bamboo-leaf oak acorns are still matcha green, but will be brown ultimately. I'm already looking forward to seeing them!    

 Quercus myrsinifolia in mid-September　9月半ばの白樫の実

Early September　9月上旬

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've been observing this plant for the last month, enjoying the tiny white flowers and the green, purple and black berries as well as the bright pink stems. I love this plant because it's so colorful!! 

When writing about the cute white flowers last month, however, I learned that all parts of the plant, i.e., the rootstocks, leaves, stems, and ripe fruit, are toxic, which made me very nervous this time, not to touch any part of this...😆

Phytolacca Americana 洋種山牛蒡

A Baby Conifer Cone 赤ちゃん松かさ

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

I wrote about green female conifer cones in August, and I thought at that time I learned everything about the cones, but I was wrong. Now I've learned that the pine tree produces male and female flowers (or strobili) and that the female flowers turn cones like the green ones I saw in August (or in the 3rd photo). In other words, all pine cones are female!   

So, you're looking at the growing process of pine cones from a newborn baby girl cone (1st photo), to cones like toddlers (2nd photo), then green young cones (3rd photo)!      

A newborn baby girl flower (or strobilus) 生まれたての雌花

Fruit of Cornus Florida (Flowering Dogwood) 花水木（ハナミズキ）の実

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

The fruits of Cornus florida or more commonly known as flowering dogwood have turned red for the last two weeks. Compare the first two pictures! 

The fruits are so red, so beautiful, and look tasty, but they're toxic unlike edible Cornus kousa or kousa dogwood fruit. I sometimes confused the flowers of these two i.e., Cornus florida or flowering dogwood and Cornus kousa or kousa dogwood, but not anymore😉 thanks to the stark difference in the fruit shape.

Cornus florida in mid-September 9月半ばの花水木

September 1