Chinese Cucumber (Trichosanthes Kirilowii) キカラスウリ（黄烏瓜）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Chinese cucumbers (Trichosanthes kirilowii) are native to China and Japan. They're dioecious, producing white "hairy" flowers from June to September and fruits from August to October. The fruits are green at first and then turn yellow. They're edible but not tasty. Someone says on the internet that he would never eat it unless famine comes😆. It's not so difficult to find Chinese cucumber flowers in Tokyo but not so when it comes to the fruits. It seems Chinese cucumbers are removed when the flower season is over.     

When you see the flowers, you would likely see pumpkin beetles (Aulacophora nigripennis), too. Pumpkin beetles are harmful but their tininess, agility and color contrast between orange and black never fails to bring me a smile.  

2022/6/28

2024/6/12

Blue Passionflower (Passiflora Caerulea) 時計草（トケイソウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

They're blue passionflowers (Passiflora caerulea), but don't you think there's something wrong with them? You do? Yes, their clock hands-like pistils are all closed and don't tell the time! (Their Japanese name is "clock plant.") I noticed it when, as always, I was seeing them wondering what time these clock-like flowers said. I googled and learned that blue passionflowers open in the morning. Their purple brown pistils or clock hands🕙 are still asleep😪! 

Lily of the Valley Vine (Salpichroa Origanifolia) ハコベホオズキ（繁縷酸漿）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are lilies of the valley vine (Salpichroa origanifolia). They're so small and adorable, aren't they? At first I only saw the flowers but then noticed something black on them, which were ants! Ants were not on every flower but some, which I guess means that the nectar of the lilies must be delicious!

Lily of the valley vine (Salpichroa origanifolia)　ハコベホオズキ（繁縷酸漿）

Is The Guardian Dog a Frenchie? 狛犬はフレブル？

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Yesterday morning, I saw a black French bulldog sitting on a street. The owner talked the dog into walking a few times, but he (I assume so) ignored the owner completely. I love Frenchies, so I saw them from a distance for a while, but the Frenchie didn't move an inch. I approached them, saying to the owner that it was understandable for him not to want to walk as it was hot. (It was hot that day due to high humidity.) The owner said, smiling wryly, "No, he just didn't wanna go home."

It was a work day, so I left them rushing home. Then I found this guardian dog at the entrance of the Teppozu Inari Shrine. The guardian dog looks like a Frenchie, doesn't it?

The guardian dog at Teppozu Inari shrine　鉄砲洲稲荷神社の狛犬

Red Poppy (Papaver Rhoeas) ヒナゲシ（雛罌粟）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found these red poppies (Papaver rhoeas) while taking a morning walk. The red petals are so noticeable from a distance while the dark brown center of the flower is so absorbing that I felt as if I had been drawn to the center.  

Red poppy (Papaver rhoeas)　ヒナゲシ（雛罌粟）

Tokyo Skytree against Sky at Night 夜の東京スカイツリー

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I took this photo to keep a memory of such a beautiful view. The night view included various colors. 

Tokyo Skytree against sky at night　夜の東京スカイツリー

Bladder Campion (Silene Vulgaris) シラタマソウ（白玉草）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I love their chubbiness. These are bladder campion (Silene vulgaris) flowers. I've photographed them several times but I noticed for the first time that their anthers were beautiful pale yellow green. 

Bladder campion (Silene vulgaris)　シラタマソウ（白玉草）

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シラタマソウ（白玉草）です。何度か写真撮ったことがあるのですが、葯がこんなに綺麗な薄黄緑だったことに初めて気づきました。

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Blue Passionflower (Passiflora Caerulea) 時計草（トケイソウ）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I thought someone had said "It's eight five and seventeen seconds." These are blue passionflowers (Passiflora caerulea) and their Japanese name is "clock plant" after the appearance. 

Blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)　時計草（トケイソウ）

Tree Peony (Chinese Peony, Paeonia Lactiflora) シャクヤク（芍薬）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are tree peonies (Chinese peonies [Paeonia lactiflora]). I sometimes went to the Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden and enjoyed more than 20 types of beautiful peonies there. In Japan, however, the peonies in these pictures (Paeonia lactiflora) are completely different flowers from the peonies in the garden (Moutan peonies or Paeonia x suffruticosa), which can be seen in the following Japanese saying describing a beautiful woman:  

She stands beautifully like a tree peony (Paeonia lactiflora).
She sits beautifully like a Moutan peony (Paeonia x suffruticosa).
She walks beautifully like a lily.

I want to be such a beautiful woman someday...

Tree peony (Chinese peony, Paeonia lactiflora)　シャクヤク（芍薬）

Chinaberry (Melia Azedarach) センダン（栴檀）

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are Chinaberry flowers (Melia azedarach). The flowers look white from a distance, but they actually are pale purple, which creates a beautiful contrast with the green leaves.

Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)　センダン（栴檀）

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

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are flowers of Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa). Japanese dogwood is called "evergreen Buddhist monk" in Japanese by comparing the head (or capitulum) of the flower to the head of a monk of the Hieizan (Mt. Hiei) Enryakuji temple and the four bracts surrounding the capitulum to his hood.

Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa)　山法師（ヤマボウシ）