Triodanis Biflora (Small Venus' Looking-Glass) 雛桔梗草（ヒナキキョウソウ）

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

In early May, I wrote about Triodanis perfoliata or clasping Venus' looking-glass. And this is Triodanis biflora or small Venus' looking-glass. Unlike the bigger one's (i.e., clasping Venus' looking-glass) flowers, which are usually "clasping" as its name suggests, small Venus' looking-glass' flowers are usually open. 

Triodanis biflora 雛桔梗草

Small Venus' looking-glass ヒナキキョウソウ

Small Venus' looking-glass ヒナキキョウソウ

Sleeping Beauty "Stink Bug"? 眠れる森のカメムシ？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I take a walk every morning and check several places where hydrangeas are growing. And I noticed something on a lacecap hydrangea. Do you see it? A dark brown bug on it! It must have been sleeping like a log. It didn't move an inch. If you're interested in lacecap hydrangeas changing from green to blue then to pink, see this post! 

Lacecap hydrangea ガクアジサイ

Stink bug on a lacecap hydrangea ガクアジサイの上のカメムシ？

Pink Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) ピンクの山法師

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

This is Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood or Japanese dogwood. I've seen cream white Cornus kousa, but had never seen a pink one.

Cornus kousa and Cornus florida look like each other, but the shape of the bracts is different. Cornus kousa's bracts are pointed whereas Cornus florida's are round. Another big difference is that the fruits of Cornus kousa are edible while those of Cornus florida are poisonous.

This Cornus kousa tree is pretty tall, so I was able to take these photos from under the tree. The flowers (or strictly speaking the bracts!) were so translucent (2nd photo), which made me feel alone but happy...

Cornus kousa ヤマボウシ

From under the tree 木の下から

Saxifraga Stolonifera (Strawberry Geranium) 雪の下（ユキノシタ）

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

This is Saxifraga stolonifera or more commonly known as strawberry geranium. The shape of the flowers is so pretty that I always stop to see them closely.

The flower shape must have made people think of many things and come up with names after these things such as "Aaron's beard" and 鴨足草 (a Japanese name meaning "duck's feet"), but to me, the flowers just look like persons floating in the air, extending their arms and legs. By the way, in China, not the flower but its round leaves reminded people of "tiger's ears," which has become the plant's name.  

Its most common Japanese name is "雪の下," meaning "under snow" because the plant grows green leaves even under snow.

Saxifraga stolonifera 雪の下

Strawberry geranium ユキノシタ

Ligustrum Sinense (Chinese Privet) シルバープリベット

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

Have you ever seen a flower of Ligustrum sinense or more commonly Chinese privet that closely? I didn't and this photo made me realize how beautiful the flowers are!! 

I love tiny plants, but I always have a hard time taking clear shots of them when it's windy. I've been wondering if it's time to go through the manual of my compact digital camera or buy a single lens camera (i.e., giving up on growing my photography skills😅).

Chinese Privet シルバープリベット

Solanum Nigrum (Black Nightshade) 犬酸漿（イヌホオズキ）

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

This is Solanum nigrum or more commonly black nightshade. Small white flowers with a bright yellow center are pretty and look innocent, but the plant, especially the unripe berries, is poisonous.

The black nightshade is "baka nasu" in Japanese, meaning "stupid eggplant" because it looks like Solanum melongena (i.e., eggplant) but is worthless, i.e., inedible.

Solanum nigrum 犬酸漿

Black nightshade イヌホオズキ

Triodanis Perfoliata (Clasping Venus' Looking-Glass) 桔梗草（キキョウソウ）

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

This is Triodanis perfoliata or more commonly clasping Venus' looking-glass. The plant was on a roadside but I couldn't find it in any other places in my neighborhood. 

Triodanis perfoliata 桔梗草

Clasping Venus' looking-glass キキョウソウ

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桔梗草（キキョウソウ）です。道端に咲いていたのですが、そこ以外には見つけることができませんでした。

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Horsefly on Philadelphia Fleabane アブとハルジオン

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is Erigeron philadelphicus or more commonly Philadelphia fleabane with a horsefly. The plant is seen in so many places these days that I was bored with it before writing a post about it, but a horsefly on it is another story. I couldn't help but photograph the color contrast between the horsefly and the fleabane. 

2022/5/8

2022/5/8

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春紫苑（ハルジオン）です。たくさん咲いているので少々食傷気味だったのですが、アブと花の色のコントラストには目を奪われ、思わずパシャパシャしてしまいました。

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Geranium Robertianum (Herb Robert) 姫風露（ヒメフウロ）

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

They're Geranium robertianum or more commonly known as herb Robert. The plant's so tiny and pretty, isn't it?

Things have names not necessarily after their appearance, however. Herb Robert is thought to have been named from an ancient association with Robin Goodfellow or Puck, the evil fairy that could bring death to a household. And this may explain its another name "Death come quickly." (Source: The Woodland Trust and Harringay Online) It's said that if the plant is picked and taken into the home, a death will soon follow. I'll never pick it...

Geranium robertianum 姫風露

Herb Robert ヒメフウロ

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

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

This is Cornus kousa or more commonly kousa dogwood or Japanese dogwood. As Cornus florida, what look like petals are actually bracts. (A cluster of the tiny green flowers is surrounded by the bracts.) The two types of dogwood look like each other, but the shape of the bracts is different. Cornus kousa's bracts are pointed whereas Cornus florida's are round. Another big difference is that the fruits of Cornus kousa are edible while those of Cornus florida are poisonous.  

 

Cornus kousa 山法師

Japanese dogwood ヤマボウシ

Convallaria Majalis (Lily of the Valley) 鈴蘭（スズラン）

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

This is Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). I love its whiteness and tininess, but the tininess is sometimes a matter of relativity. Look at the second picture. See? The lily should be large enough for the ant. It seems to be wondering which way it's going... 

An ant on a lily of the valley アリとスズラン