Indian Fritillary (Argynnis Hyperbius) 褄黒豹紋（ツマグロヒョウモン）

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

This is a male Indian fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius). I wanted to take clearer photos but these are the best pictures I could take. The Indian fritillary is said to mimic a plain tiger, which is toxic. The abilities of plants and insects always amaze me.  

Indian fritillary　褄黒豹紋

Argynnis hyperbius　ツマグロヒョウモン

Oleander (Nerium Oleander) 夾竹桃（キョウチクトウ）

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

This is an oleander tree (Nerium oleander) in my neighborhood. I've seen the flowers many times but haven't written about them because I couldn't like them. I didn't know why. But now I'm writing about the flowers because I learned that the tree is so poisonous that even the smoke from the burning tree is poisonous😱. The oleander means in Japan "danger" and "caution." Maybe unconsciously, I felt something dangerous about the tree and couldn't like it. 

Oleander　キョウチクトウ

Nerium Oleander　夾竹桃

Sponge and Bitter Gourds ヘチマとゴーヤ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

There is a proverb in Japan which goes "When the wind blows, barrel makers get rich." This means that when something happens, it may cause unexpected effects. And that has happened to me this morning! I got these sponge and bitter gourds because I walk and jump rope every day!! (To see the salad I made using the bitter gourds, read this post🥗!)

This morning I saw the gardener of the park in which these gourds grew. Our conversation was like this: ("M" means me and "G" means the gardener.)

M: Good morning! 

G: It's you who walk very quickly and jump rope every morning, isn't it? 

M: Yes! 

G: Do you eat bitter gourds? 

M: I love bitter gourds😀!

G: Okay, I'll give you bitter gourds as a treat!! 

M: Thank you, but I love sponge gourds, too😆!! 

G: Okay, okay.

Sadly, these days, people take bitter gourds without asking, so he apologized to me for being able to give me only small bitter gourds, but that doesn't matter. I'm very happy. If you're interested in how barrel makers get rich when the wind blows, read below. It's nonsense! (Source: Wikimedia Commons): 

1. When the wind blows, dust will be blown into people's eyes. 
2. If dust is blown into people's eyes, some people will go blind. 
3. The traditional employment for blind people in Japan was itinerant shamisen-playing story-tellers. 
4. The blind people would therefore be predicted to purchase shamisen. 
5. The skin of the shamisen is often made of cats. So if blind people increase, then cats will be killed for their skin. 
6. If cats are killed then there will be more mice. 
7. And if there are more mice, people will need to make sure that their rice is kept in barrels. 
8. So they will order barrels. 
9. Barrel makers will get rich.

Sponge and bitter gourds　ヘチマとゴーヤ 

Angel's Trumpet (Datura Metel) チョウセンアサガオ（朝鮮朝顔）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The angel's trumpet (Datura metel) is considered native to the southern part of the North American continent and adjacent islands, was introduced to Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) as a medical plant, and can now be found across Japan. The plant produces beautiful white flowers from June to October and then spiky fruits from June to November in Japan.  

Hindu Datura's Japanese name is "chousen asagao," which translates into "Korean morning glory," despite it having nothing to do with morning glory but the similarity in the flower shape. Datura flowers are beautiful, but are toxic because of their tropane alkaloid content and that's why the plant is also called the devil's trumpet.  

2023/7/14

White Platycodon Grandiflorus (Balloon Flower) 白桔梗（シロキキョウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is a white balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus). I saw purple ones last month and double-flowered ones a few days ago. I didn't know the plant produces white flowers. I wanted to photograph its balloon shaped white buds but couldn't find one.  

2023/7/13

East Asian Arrowroot (Kudzu Vine, Pueraria Montana Var. Lobata) 葛（クズ）

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

I know that many hate the plant. It's invasive and harmful as @woodkeeper says, but I cannot dislike it because the starch powder made from the plant, i.e., kudzu powder, can become various Japanese sweets!! 

This is a flower of the East Asian arrowroot or kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata) and because of the invasiveness, the kudzu in my neighborhood has been removed😂 as you can see in the 2nd photo and that's why I was able to photograph only a single kudzu flower.  

East Asian arrowroot　葛

Double-Flowered Balloon Flower (Platycodon Grandiflorus) 八重桔梗（ヤエキキョウ）

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

These are double-flowered balloon flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus). I wrote about single-flowered balloon flowers last month. Just the single or double difference makes them completely different flowers.   

Double-flowered balloon flower　八重桔梗

Platycodon grandiflorus　ヤエキキョウ

Hibiscus Hamabo (Hardy Yellow Hibiscus) 浜朴（ハマボウ）

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

"You're feeling very sleepy....😪." I heard someone say this when looking at the center of the flower.  

These are hardy yellow hibiscuses (Hibiscus hamabo). The stark contrast between the lemon yellow and the dark red always catches my eye. I wanted to photograph the open yellow flowers but I see them only in the early morning, so the flowers are always half open😂.    

Hibiscus hamabo　浜朴

Hardy yellow hibiscus　ハマボウ

A Bee with Pollen Baskets🐝 花粉荷を運ぶハチ🐝

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

I often see bugs hovering over flowers and most of them are horseflies. But finally, I found a honey bee🐝 with pollen baskets on a sponge gourd flower!! The pollen basket is part of the tibia on the hind legs of some female bees. They put pollen in the baskets to carry the pollen to the nest or hive.

Can you see her (as only female bees have pollen baskets) orange pollen baskets? So cute, so adorable😊!

A bee with pollen baskets　花粉荷を運ぶハチ

Morning Glories 朝顔（アサガオ）

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

These are purple, red (3rd and 4th) and white (last photo) morning glories. Every color is so beautiful. Morning glories are very popular in Japan. Elementary schools across Japan grow morning glories in summer to teach students about plants (I was one such student!) and many municipalities hold morning glory festivals in summer.

You may believe that the plant name morning glory was given because the flowers open in the morning, but that's not true. Morning glory goes to sleep as it gets dark and wakes up (i.e., the flower opens) after nine hours of sleep. They live healthy lives!😉

Purple morning glory　紫の朝顔

Pink morning glory　ピンクのアサガオ

Sponge Gourd (Luffa Aegyptiaca) ヘチマ

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

I wish I had them to stir fry them to make a tasty Okinawan cuisine! These are sponge gourds (Luffa aegyptiaca) in a park. Sponge gourds aren't available in any supermarkets in my neighborhood, so I've been wishing the gardener would give me some of them for a couple of weeks and this isn't a silly idea because in October 2020 the gardener gave me several bitter gourds!!

At that time, bitter gourds were planted there and the gardener was looking for someone he was able to give them because although he'd asked many if they ate the gourds, most answered no, i.e., some didn't like the gourds (as they are bitter) and others didn't know how to cook them. I've been praying😆.  

A sponge gourd flower (Luffa aegyptiaca)　ヘチマの花

 

A sponge gourd (Luffa Aegyptiaca)　ヘチマ