シキミ Japanese star anise

畑の中の小さな墓地にシキミの花が咲いていました。毒性が強く、食べると死に至ることもあるそうです。食べたくなるような植物には見えませんが、実を香辛料の八角と間違えることがあったようです。

The flower of the Japanese star anise bloomed in the small graveyard in the field.
It is toxic. If a person eats, there seems to be a possibility that the person dies.
It is not a plant we feel like eating.
But there were the some cases which mistook fruit for Chinese star anise (an octagonal spice).
Chinese star anise is spice, but Japanese star anise is toxic.

春の気配 sign of spring

近づけは、その膨らみに春の気配を感じます。

When I approached the Japanese plum tree, I felt sign of spring from the swellings.

Japanese plum blossoms

スギ花粉 pollen of cedar

スギ花粉は、花粉症をひき起こす主な元凶です。
この時期に、マスクをして外出することは、日本では珍しいことではありません。

Pollen from Japanese cryptomeria trees is the major offender in hay fever.
It is common practice that Japanese wear a mask out of doors at this time.

箸を作る making chopstick

剪定が行われたようで、梅の枝が沢山落ちていました。なるべく真っ直ぐなものを数本選んで持ち帰ることに　・・・　ナイフで削って箸を作るつもりです。

It seemed that the pruning of Japanese plum had been carried out, so there were many branches on the ground. I chose several straight branches as possible and took them home. I will sharpen them with a knife to make chopsticks.

稲光 lightning

葉を落とした木の枝が、暗い森に浮かび上がり、あたかも稲光のようです。

The branches of the tree which have dropped leaves are creating a vibrant contrast with the black forest and are like the lightning.

1/60sec, F1.8, manual, ISO400, 50mm (aps-c)

崖の上の椿 camellia on the cliff

葉が黄変しています。
数メートル先の擁壁工事で使われたセメントに含まれるアルカリ性が影響したのでしょう。
背景となった樹木は、象の肌のようにも見えるイヌシデの幹です。

The leaves of the camellia are turning yellow.
It is alkaline influence included in cement used by retaining wall construction carried out in several meters ahead.
The tree of the background is a trunk of the Carpinus tschonoskii which looks like the skin of the elephant.

1/40sec, F1.8, manual, ISO800, 50mm (aps-c)

オオハナワラビ botrychium

ひと気のない寂しい所に、ユーモラスな格好をした植物を見つけました。高さが30cmくらいなので、オオハナワラビだと思います。

I found a humorous-shaped plant in the desolate place. The height was around 30cm, so I supposed it was a botrychium.

1/500sec, F1.8, manual, ISO200, 50mm (aps-c)