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/