Season’s Greetings

 

I’ll tell you next week about a hiking course on which I took this photo of Mt. Fuji. 😊

I really hope in 2022 we would have some clue to conclude COVID-19 …

Take care.

With love, 

Naomi

A Christmas Present from forest Santa: making herbarium with Pertya robusta

 

I started this blog in 2015, 6 years ago. During this period, I’ve visited some places repeatedly. I noticed changes, or unchanges, of a place from year to year. This year in Niiharu Citizen Forest 新治市民の森, I felt we could find lots of Pertya robusta (Maxim.) Makino. I thought just few years back they were not this much. With some reason, they started to sprout here and there … interesting. The species is Japanese endemic perennial. It loves relatively dry forest floor. In 2021, when we walk the ridge way in Niiharu Forest, we’ve met lots of them. It grows tall to 30-90cm with large leaves (as a herbaceous plant) in the middle of a stem. They look like the leaves of Japanese Emperor Oak. In early fall, from the point where the leaves congregate, one straight stem shoots straight up to have several white fluffy flowers at the tip. It’s not difficult to identify them, I tell you.

Pertya robusta in November.
The flowers are turning into seeds.

Yeah, their flowers are pretty, but not so gorgeous as some other species. Still, they are very popular among flower arranging designers. It’s for the end of their season when they stand desiccated in early winter. Because of their dandelion like seeds? Nah, they scatter around riding upon the winds when we gently tap the grass, i.e. could be an annoyance, you know. What artists love in this plant is its involucral bract after the seeds are gone. It’s long and multilayered. After the seeds are departed, the bract “opens” up, which looks like an elaborated sculpture of flower. They are beautiful. When the Lovers of Niiharu engaged in mowing the floor along the trekking route, I collected involucral scales of Pertya robusta.

Fluffy seeds of Pertya robusta. They’re ready to go.

Scales of Pertya robusta.
Don’t you think they are awesome?

First, I put them in a glass vessel to admire this natural wonder. But … maybe they could crumble in few years’ time once they reach complete dryness … sad … So, I decided to make herbarium with them. The recipe is simple. I put the bracts in a glass container together with the other dried materials from Satoyama forests and poured white oil until the dried plants are completely submerged. Close the lid of the container, and I’ve done.

Temp. stop

White oil I used.

Christmas present from forest

It becomes Christmas present for me from forest this year. Bracts of Pertya robusta is floating elegantly in my herbarium ... It’s cold out there ...

If you find a problem in the greenery of north-half of Yokohama, please make a contact with

Office for the Park Greeneries in the North
北部公園緑地事務所
Yokohama Municipal Government Creative Environment Policy Bureau
横浜市環境創造局
Phone: 045-311-2016
FAX: 045-316-8420

Niiharu Administrative Office / Satoyama Exchange Center
新治管理事務所・里山交流センター
Phone: 045-931-4947
Fax: 045-937-0898
Email: info@niiharu.jp
http://www.niiharu.jp/

A Cup of Tea Would Restore My Normality: Trying various tisane of leaves in late autumn, 2

OK, let’s continue more exotic kind of forest tisane this week! One thing I noticed during this tea party was, for some leaves microwaving is a useful approach to make their flavor richer. It’s simple: microwaving fresh leaves until they are dry with toasted aroma, but not turning color with burn-marks. Here are the two kids of tisane I thought microwaving did a good job.

6. Harlequin glory bower (Clerodendron trichotonum)

Although above photo is the leaves of turning colors in late autumn, according to Ms. Ohki, we can brew tisane from this tree all year round. In Japanese, the plant is named “Kusagui = a tree smells bad.” So, many participants of the session were surprised to know their leaves can be tisane. I didn’t know either if we could make tisane from it. But I personally find the smell is just like peanuts butter. So, I secretly expected the tisane would have nutty flavor. Bingo! It had a soft nutty aroma, not at all bad.

Washed leaves of Harlequin glory bower,
 before microwaved.

In autumn, fruits of them had a pretty presentation
of Harlequin-like demeanor.

7. Ficus erecta

This tree is commonly found near sea in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is dioecious plant in the genus of fig. The above photo is male hypanthodium sticking to a branch in early winter. Female hypanthodium of Ficus erecta has sweet taste, though not as thick as fig. I once tried male one, and it tasteless … I don’t recommend you try. In any case, like figs, they depend on tiny fly called Blastophaga psenes for pollination. The bags stay deep in the fruit. Especially male flies are born and die in the hypanthodium of male Ficus erecta. i.e. If you bite it, you inevitably enter the world of insect food ... Although I knew such things for Ficus erecta, I was ignorant about its potential of their leaves. Ms. Ohki said tisane from leaves of Ficus erecta often gets the pole position in tasting contest of wild leaves tisane. She microwaved the leaves and tisane had a gentle aroma of forest. In Ms. Ohki’s opinion, when we make a cup from their still-green October leaves, the aroma could be more robust. I’ll try next year!

Ficus erecta in summer.
This tree is male with lots of male hypanthodium.

Also another Ficus erecta in July.
It’s female and has soon-to-be ripe and sweet hypanthodium.

Leaves of Ficus erecta before microwaved.
A slow waving around the rim is their trademark.

Microwaved leaves can be tisane of woodier flavor than those in fresh leaves. But in terms of late-autumn aroma, another method beats microwave. It’s good ol’ roasting. Here are the two tisanes we tasted with roasted leaves. Both had the mellowest flavor in our tea party session, but with distinctively nutty aroma.

8. Job’s tears (Coix lacryma-jobi)

Last year, I told you my adventure with Job’s tears to make rosary (my post on December 11, 2020). I did not have any idea they can make a good cup of tisane. Come to think of it, the plant is wild ancestor of adlay which is widely consumed as grain and for tisane. No wonder Job’s tears are drinkable. Ms. Ohki did not care if the fruit reached to enamel-like character. She simply chopped the grass of leaves, stems, and fruits, and threw them in a pan (not oiled). Roasting them for few minutes until they emitted nutty aroma, and Voilà! The plant was ready to be infused in a pot. I found their taste is milder than adlay tisane. In Chinese medicine it is said that adlay tea can cool body ... I don’t know if tisane of Job’s tears is good for winter. Though, it’s nutty smell is certainly soothing in autumn afternoon.

This plant has immature fruits.

9. Green bristlegrass (Sefaria viridis)

This is the grass I was surprised the most to know for tisane. It is so ubiquitous, familiar, and treated as nuisance for gardeners … I have to apologize to this plant for my ignorance. Ms. Ohki chopped the bristlegrass with leaves, stems and catkins, roasted them in the pan until it smells fragrant, and pour hot water over them in a pot. It tasted nutty, soft, but the most distinct taste in today’s tea party. Later I found bristlegrass family is the ancestor of foxtail millet. As we eat millet as grain, making tisane from bristlegrass should be possible. According to Ms. Ohki, roasted bristlegrass can be an alternative for poppy seeds in cooking. Wow. I didn’t know that. I really must reset my way of thinking to see the plants in forest.

How about catkin tea?

In that tea tasting session, I’ve learned a lot to enjoy nature just next to us. It’s getting colder now in Yokohama … I’m going to make tea and observe quiet forest this year end … Hibernation ...

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Teatime, Forever!: Trying various tisane of leaves in late autumn, 1

In autumn last year, I told you my adventures with tea made of several wild grasses (here, here, and here). Recently, I had a chance to join tisane tasting group to know more about possible leaves that can turn into tisane. I’ve learned that some leaves can have milder flavor when they are infused while fresh. Some others can have richer aroma if we microwave them. And there are grasses that can turn into tisane with flagrantly robust taste when we roast them just before dunking them in hot water. This week and next, I tell you the new list of wild tisanes I’ve experienced this time.

1. Japanese Loquant (Eriobotrya japonica)

According to this site, loquant leaves contain many active ingredients such as Dextrin, Tartaric acid, Amygdalin, Tannin, and Saponin. As amygdalin turns into hydrogen cyanide after reacting with gastric acid, having too much of it is always no-no. (About this, the thinking of Japanese National Institute of Health and Nutrition is here.) Having said that, poison can sometimes border with good medicine. Loquant leaf is an ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine, believed to have bactericidal and analgesic actions. Inevitably, the leaves of loquant are commercially sold and consumed widely. They are normally dried. In contrast this time, I had a chance to taste tisane of fresh loquant leaves. The leader of our meeting, Ms. Ohki, said their leaves are the most effective in late autumn to early winter when they flower. We collected them at this best season, washed them well to remove fluff from the back, julienned and infused them like standard tea leaves. No need to decoct. Yeah, if we have to take it as medicine, we would need to cook them more. But simply to enjoy its flavor, it’s better to take this approach, Ms. Ohki said. Tisane of loquant leaves is “red” like English tea, but its taste is far less strong that Brits’ kind. I thought it is too modest to claim the character as medicinal tisane … With its traditional fame as mild painkillers, it seems to me this tea is famous among terminal cancer patients. Hmmmm ...

Loquant leaves and its flower.
The flower smells sweet.
If you have a chance to encounter them
from late November to early December,
please enjoy its flagrance.

2. Strawberry Geranium (Saxifraga stolonifera)

This leave is famous among wild grass eaters. Though it’s a bit hard to eat them row, they can be a very good ingredient for soup, tempura, boiled side dishes, or even to decorate Humburg steaks. The leaves can also be tisane. Simply julienne them and pour hot water. It has a very gentle flavor. I would say, my cup emitted flagrance of early winter forest. The other day, Mr. Hideshige Uchino of Nagaike Park 長池公園, Hachioji City, told us when we find Strawberry Geranium in forest, the chances are the place once had a human settlement of some kind. Yeah, it’s very versatile wild edible plant year-round. According to this site, the leaves can have antibacterial and diuretic effects. Ancient people used them for their home medicine … Corollary: please do not over consume them.

Strawberry geranium has very pretty flowers
in late spring to early summer.

3. Alehoof (Glechoma hederacea subsp. Grandis)

It too is very well-known traditional medicinal herb in Japan. People dried the leaves and infused tisane to treat convulsion of babies. I don’t know how such usage connects to actual ingredients of it (; for scholarly discussion, here). Folk medicine often relates the effect of alehoof tisane for controlling blood pressure. But Japanese Ministry of Health, labor and Welfare warns taking too much of it as medicine could have bleeding in digestive organs, and interactions with prescription drugs. The key here is, “too much” consumption. Actually, tisane made of fresh alehoof has similar smell of mint tea. Ms. Ohki baked cookies with julienned alehoof leaves. They had minty flavor. Among these 3 tisanes made of fresh leaves, this alehoof drink had the most characteristic flavor for me, but not so strong as fresh mint tea. I suspect normally people consume alehoof tisane with dried leaves, which could make the effect of ingredients stronger. You see? Dried herbs have stronger smell. Having small cup of fresh alehoof tisane once for a while won’t do much as long as you’re healthy enough, I guess.

Washed alehoof leaves for our teatime.

Alehoof has long flowering period
starting from April to early autumn.

A cookie with alehoof.
We concluded we could use more leaves.

We also tried fresh mugworts and semi-dried goldenrods (flowers and leaves). Last year when I posted my adventure with them, I tried completely dried version of them. The cups yielded strong, or bitter, taste (my posts on November 12, 2020 and December 4, 2020). In comparison, their not-completely-dried tisane leaves did not give us such impact at all. Of course, it could be a matter of amounts of leaves infused in a pot. Ms. Ohki is doing research for the best tisane from leaves of forest. Her spoon should have done the magic ... Learning wild leaf teas is profound … Next week I continue with the theme with other leaves we tried. I had an eye-opener experience. Please stay tuned!

Autumn mugworts

Semi-dried glodenrods

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657
Phone: 046-248-0323

You can send an enquiry to them by clicking the bottom line of their homepage at http://www.pref.kanagawa.jp/div/1644/

Let’s Do Nature Observation; Mikurube Forestry Road, Part 2 三廻部林道 2

The forest along Mikurube Forestry Road 三廻部林道 is designated as a water source forest by Kanagawa Prefecture, i.e. protected for nature conservation. My impression is, half the vegetation is afforested conifers and another half is of broad-leaved trees which is a mixture of evergreens and deciduous kinds. The route is paved for cars. The surface of the road is sometimes covered by fallen leaves or the like, but at least as of November 2021 there is no disruption by landslides. Compared with the other forestry roads in Tanzawa 丹沢, Mikurube Forestry Road is relatively less steep. Almost entire route has crash barriers. In short, your itinerary with Mikurbe Road is a nice mountain stroll on a paved way. Having said that, as this is a road running on a surface of sharp Tanzawa Mountains, the valleys beyond guard rail are precipitous and deep. If you’re with your adventurous kids, you’d better be watchful especially when they try to cross the barrier.

 When we walk from
Entrance to Omote-Tanzawa Citizen Forest Bus Stop
  表丹沢県民の森入口,
we first find the sign for the beginning
 of Mikurube Forestry Road, then,

there is a sign at the junction
 with Kami-Hadano Forestry Road 上秦野林道
(which is to Omote-Tanzawa Citizen Forest)
 showing the direction of Mikurube Road.
 Here, we take the road on our left.

The gate is after the above signpost.
 Could you see it over there at the end of this photo?

We can walk the route in this condition.

As this is a quiet paved road, it’s easy doing plant observation party along Mikurube Road. The trees we often encounter in our walk may tell typical geological condition of Tanzawa. Ainus pendula, Euptelea polyandra Soeb. Et Zucc., and Japanese walnut (Jaglans mandshurica) are very common. Ainus pendula is a pioneer plant thriving on a scree slope where they can enjoy lots of sunshine with a smaller number of competitors. Euptelea polyandra and Japanese walnut love humid banks of streams. Such trees suggest fragile soil of Tanzawa with lots of rains. Mountainside of the Mikurube Forestry Road is often treated against rockfall, but mantle vegetation-like scenery covers man-made stonewalls. Solanum lyratum shows off their bright red berries in fall. Jack-in-the-pulpits are here and there in early summer. If you love nature, you’ll enjoy your weekend here searching for interesting things.

 A scenery of forest along Mikurube Forestry Road

Euptelea polyandra, early summer

Stephanandra incisa is
dangling from the slope, early summer

Large Caesalpinia sepiaria var. japonica,
 coiling itself from the bottom of the valley

Youngia denticulata,
another pioneer plant for scree slope and
 the last flower before Christmas

Rhus sylvestris began
 turning red in early November.

Observing Mt. Toh 塔ノ岳 (ASL 1491m) from Mikurube Forestry Road.
 Could you figure out the front of this photo shows clear-cut logging?
 The afforested area needs tending by foresters to maintain biodiversity.
 Humans harvest logs from such part, carry the logs via the forestry road.

Wild Japanese lentian in Mikurube Forestry Road

Actually, not only plants, but also animals we meet in Mikurube Forestry Road. When a quiet mountainous road is easy for humans to walk, so as for animals. Here, finding their footprints is easy on the road-side slopes. During spring to early summer, we hear tweets of Himalayan cuckoo or Blue-and-white flycatcher. The other day, when we finished our lunch and prepared to resume our walk, we noticed our rest was observed by a curious Japanese serow situated himself (er, I though it was “he”) on a slope just above our heads. If you’re seeking a chance to watch spider cubs helter-skelter in all directions, you may poke one of kindergartens of 8-legged kids on a moss-covered crash barrier. It’s purely a fun!

Hi there.

Whichever gate you choose to start walking Mikurube Forestry Road, it’s one way route in quiet forest. As long as you keep yourself on a paved road, you’ll never lose the way. Admitting, to enjoy this road we have problems for the access to the entrance. But, if you have a chance, especially with kids and illustrated reference books for fields, please try. I bet you can satisfy you and your family’s appetite for nature observation in Tanzawa Mountains. Ainus pendula and Euptelea polyandra Soeb. Et Zucc. flower early in spring. In this world of global warming, we may find their flowers in February, or even in January …

If you find environmental issues in Kanagawa Prefecture, please make a contact with Kanagawa Natural Environment Conservation Center 神奈川県自然環境保全センター

657 Nanasawa, Atsugi City, 243-0121
〒243－0121　厚木市七沢657 

Phone: 046-248-0323