The Flickr Woodyplant Image Generatr

ハナミズキ・花水木（アメリカヤマボウシ）_25419
Hana-Mizuki（'America Yamaboushi'）
Flowering Dogwood in Kashiwa city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.
[ Cornus florida L. ]
ミズキ科（Cornaceae）ミズキ属（Cornus）

開き始めた我が家の花水木ですが、半分くらいが『わっ』てしてましたw。
アメリカヤマボウシ（最初に付けられた和名）を標準としているサイトもあります。

June 2, 2025: Infrared image taken at Conejo Community Park, aka "Dover and Hendrix Park," in Thousand Oaks, California.

This morning's walk included testing my Canon Rebel T3i, which was converted to a full-spectrum infrared camera back in 2021. For this oak tree image, I used a 720nm filter, 1/250 sec, f/8.0, ISO 250, EF-S 18-55mm lens at 18mm. CV25-156

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs, Colorado

High Lux - 29/05/2025 - #272/365

Petal of blooming Yucca pallida

Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the Americas and the Caribbean in a wide range of habitats, from humid rainforest and wet subtropical ecosystems to the hot and dry (arid) deserts and savanna.

Early reports of the species were confused with the cassava (Manihot esculenta). Consequently, Linnaeus mistakenly derived the generic name from the Taíno word for the latter, yuca. The Aztecs living in Mexico since before the Spanish arrival, in Nahuatl, call the local yucca species (Yucca gigantea) iczotl, which gave the Spanish izote. Izote is also used for Yucca filifera.

The natural distribution range of the genus Yucca (49 species and 24 subspecies) covers a vast area of the Americas. The genus is represented throughout Mexico and extends into Guatemala (Yucca guatemalensis). It also extends to the north through Baja California in the west, northwards into the southwestern United States, through the drier central states as far north as southern Alberta in Canada (Yucca glauca ssp. albertana).

Yucca is also native northward to the coastal lowlands and dry beach scrub of the coastal areas of the southeastern United States, along the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic States from coastal Texas to Maryland.

Yuccas have adapted to an equally vast range of climatic and ecological conditions. They are to be found in rocky deserts and badlands, in prairies and grassland, in mountainous regions, woodlands, in coastal sands (Yucca filamentosa), and even in subtropical and semitemperate zones. Several species occur in humid tropical zones (Yucca lacandonica) but most species occur in arid conditions, with the deserts of North America being regarded as the center of diversity for the genus.

Yuccas have a very specialized, mutualistic pollination system; being pollinated by yucca moths (family Prodoxidae); the insect transfers the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time lays an egg in the flower; the moth larva then feeds on some of the developing seeds, always leaving enough seed to perpetuate the species. Certain species of the yucca moth have evolved antagonistic features against the plant. They do not assist in the plant's pollination efforts while continuing to lay their eggs in the plant for protection.

Yucca species are the host plants for the caterpillars of the yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae), ursine giant-skipper (Megathymus ursus), and Strecker's giant-skipper (Megathymus streckeri).

Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Many species also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems, and (more rarely) roots. References to yucca root as food often arise from confusion with the similarly pronounced, but botanically unrelated, yuca, also called cassava or manioc (Manihot esculenta). Roots of soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) are high in saponins and are used as a shampoo in Native American rituals. Dried yucca leaves and trunk fibers have a low ignition temperature, making the plant desirable for use in starting fires via friction. The stem (when dried) that sports the flowers is often used in conjunction with a sturdy piece of cedar for fire-making. In rural Appalachian areas, species such as Yucca filamentosa are referred to as "meat hangers". With their sharp-spined tips, the tough, fibrous leaves were used to puncture meat and knotted to form a loop with which to hang meat for salt curing or in smokehouses. The fibers can be used to make domestic items or for manufacturing cordage, be it sewing-thread or rope. Yucca extract is also used as a foaming agent in some beverages such as root beer and soda. Yucca powder and sap are derived from the logs of the plant; such extracts can be produced by mechanical squeezing and subsequent evaporation of the sap, and are widely used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals

The flower petals are commonly eaten in Central America, but the plant's reproductive organs (the anthers and ovaries) are first removed because of their bitterness. The petals are blanched for 5 minutes, and then cooked a la mexicana (with tomato, onion, chili) or in tortitas con salsa (egg-battered patties with green or red sauce). In Guatemala, they are boiled and eaten with lemon juice.

In El Salvador, the tender tips of stems are eaten and known locally as cogollo de izote.

The most common houseplant yucca is Yucca gigantea.

Yuccas are widely grown as architectural plants providing a dramatic accent to landscape design. They tolerate a range of conditions but are best grown in full sun in subtropical or mild temperate areas. In gardening centres and horticultural catalogues, they are usually grouped with other architectural plants such as cordylines and phormiums.

Several species of yucca can be grown outdoors in temperate climates, including:-
Yucca filamentosa
Yucca flaccida
Yucca glauca
Yucca gloriosa
Yucca recurvifolia
Yucca rostrata

The yucca flower is the state flower of New Mexico in the southwest United States. No species name is given in the citation; however, the New Mexico Centennial Blue Book from 2012 references the soaptree yucca (Yucca elata) as one of the more widespread species in New Mexico.

The Yucca flower is also the national flower of El Salvador, where it is known as flor de izote.

As of February 2012, the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families recognizes 49 species of Yucca and several hybrids:
Yucca angustissima
Yucca arkansana
Yucca baccata
Yucca baileyi
Yucca brevifolia
Yucca campestris
Yucca capensis
Yucca carnerosana
Yucca cernua
Yucca coahuilensis
Yucca constricta
Yucca decipiens
Yucca declinata
Yucca desmetiana
Yucca elata
Yucca endlichiana
Yucca faxoniana
Yucca filamentosa
Yucca filifera
Yucca flaccida
Yucca gigantea
Yucca glauca
Yucca gloriosa
Yucca grandiflora
Yucca harrimaniae
Yucca intermedia
Yucca jaliscensis
Yucca lacandonica
Yucca linearifolia
Yucca luminosa
Yucca madrensis
Yucca mixtecana
Yucca neomexicana
Yucca pallida
Yucca periculosa
Yucca potosina
Yucca queretaroensis
Yucca reverchonii
Yucca rostrata
Yucca rupicola
Yucca schidigera
Yucca × schottii
Yucca sterilis
Yucca thompsoniana
Yucca treculeana
Yucca utahensis
Yucca valida

From 1897 to 1907, Carl Ludwig Sprenger created and named 122 Yucca hybrids.

Vitis (grapevine) is a genus of 81 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus consists of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce wine. The study and cultivation of grapevines is called viticulture.

Most cultivated Vitis varieties are wind-pollinated with hermaphroditic flowers containing both male and female reproductive structures, while wild species are dioecious. These flowers are grouped in bunches called inflorescences. In many species, such as Vitis vinifera, each successfully pollinated flower becomes a grape berry with the inflorescence turning into a cluster of grapes. While the flowers of the grapevines are usually very small, the berries are often large and brightly colored with sweet flavors that attract birds and other animals to disperse the seeds contained within the berries.

Grapevines usually only produce fruit on shoots that came from buds that were developed during the previous growing season. In viticulture, this is one of the principles behind pruning the previous year's growth (or "One year old wood") that includes shoots that have turned hard and woody during the winter (after harvest in commercial viticulture). These vines will be pruned either into a cane which will support 8 to 15 buds or to a smaller spur which holds 2 to 3 buds.

Description
Flower buds are formed late in the growing season and overwinter for blooming in spring of the next year. They produce leaf-opposed cymes. Vitis is distinguished from other genera of Vitaceae by having petals which remain joined at the tip and detach from the base to fall together as a calyptra or 'cap'. The flowers are mostly bisexual, pentamerous, with a hypogynous disk. The calyx is greatly reduced or nonexistent in most species and the petals are joined together at the tip into one unit but separated at the base. The fruit is a berry, ovoid in shape and juicy, with a two-celled ovary each containing two ovules, thus normally producing four seeds per flower (or fewer by way of aborted embryos).

Other parts of the vine include the tendrils which are leaf-opposed, branched in Vitis vinifera, and are used to support the climbing plant by twining onto surrounding structures such as branches or the trellising of a vine-training system.

In the wild, all species of Vitis are normally dioecious, but under domestication, variants with perfect flowers appear to have been selected.

The genus Vitis is divided into two subgenera, Euvitis Planch. have 38 chromosomes (n=19) with berries borne on clusters and Muscadinia Planch. 40 (n=20) with small clusters.

Wild grapes can resemble the single-seeded Menispermum canadense (moonseed), which is toxic.

Species
Most Vitis species are found mostly in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in North America and eastern Asia, exceptions being a few in the tropics and the wine grape Vitis vinifera which originated in southern Europe and southwestern Asia. Grape species occur in widely different geographical areas and show a great diversity of form.

Their growth makes leaf collection challenging and polymorphic leaves make identification of species difficult. Mature grapevines can grow up to 48 centimetres (19 inches) in diameter at breast height and reach the upper canopy of trees more than 35 metres (115 feet) in height.

Many species are sufficiently closely related to allow easy interbreeding and the resultant interspecific hybrids are invariably fertile and vigorous. Thus the concept of a species is less well defined and more likely represents the identification of different ecotypes of Vitis that have evolved in distinct geographical and environmental circumstances.

The exact number of species is not certain. Plants of the World Online states 81 species are accepted, but lists 84. More than 65 species in Asia are poorly defined. Approximately 25 species are known in North America and just one, V. vinifera has Eurasian origins; some of the more notable include:

Vitis aestivalis, the summer grape, native to the Eastern United States, especially the Southeastern United States
Vitis amurensis, native to the Asian continent, including parts of Siberia and China
Vitis arizonica, The Arizona grape is native to Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mexico.
Vitis berlandieri, native to the southern North America, primarily Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. Primarily known for good tolerance against soils with a high content of lime, which can cause chlorosis in many vines of American origin
Vitis californica, the California wild grape, or Northern California grape, or Pacific grape, is a wild grape species widespread across much of California as well as southwestern Oregon
Vitis coignetiae, the crimson glory vine, a species from East Asia grown as an ornamental plant for its crimson autumn foliage
Vitis labrusca L., the fox grapevine, sometimes used for winemaking and for jam. Native to the Eastern United States and Canada. The Concord grape was derived by a cross with this species
Vitis riparia, the riverbank grapevine, sometimes used for winemaking and for jam. Native to the entire Eastern United States and north to Quebec
Vitis rotundifolia (syn. Muscadinia rotundifolia), the muscadine, used for jams and wine. Native to the Southeastern United States from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico
Vitis rupestris, the rock grapevine, used for breeding of Phylloxera resistant rootstock. Native to the Southern United States
Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. Native to the Mediterranean and Central Asia.
Vitis vulpina, the frost grape, native to the Eastern United States, from Massachusetts to Florida, and west to Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas Treated by some as a synonym of V. riparia.

Plants of the World Online also includes:
Vitis acerifolia Raf.
Vitis amoena Z.H. Chen, Feng Chen & WW.Y. Xie
Vitis baihuashanensis M.S.Kang & D.Z.Lu
Vitis balansana Planch.
Vitis bashanica P.C.He
Vitis bellula (Rehder) W.T.Wang
Vitis betulifolia Diels & Gilg
Vitis biformis Rose
Vitis blancoi Munson
Vitis bloodworthiana Comeaux
Vitis bourgaeana Planch.
Vitis bryoniifolia Bunge
Vitis × champinii Planch.
Vitis chunganensis Hu
Vitis chungii F.P.Metcalf
Vitis cinerea (Engelm.) Millardet
Vitis davidi (Rom.Caill.) Foëx
Vitis × doaniana Munson ex Viala
Vitis erythrophylla W.T.Wang
Vitis fengqinensis C.L.Li
Vitis ficifolia Bunge
Vitis flavicosta Mickel & Beitel
Vitis flexuosa Thunb.
Vitis girdiana Munson
Vitis hancockii Hance
Vitis heyneana Schult.
Vitis hissarica Vassilcz.
Vitis hui W.C.Cheng
Vitis jaegeriana Comeaux
Vitis jinggangensis W.T.Wang
Vitis jinzhainensis X.S.Shen
Vitis kaihuaica Z.H.Chen, Feng Chen & W.Y Xie
Vitis kiusiana Momiy.
Vitis lanceolatifoliosa C.L.Li
Vitis longquanensis P.L.Chiu
Vitis luochengensis W.T.Wang
Vitis menghaiensis C.L.Li
Vitis mengziensis C.L.Li
Vitis metziana Miq.
Vitis monticola Buckley
Vitis mustangensis Buckley
Vitis nesbittiana Comeaux
Vitis × novae-angliae Fernald
Vitis novogranatensis Moldenke
Vitis nuristanica Vassilcz.
Vitis palmata Vahl
Vitis pedicellata M.A.Lawson
Vitis peninsularis M.E.Jones
Vitis piasezkii Maxim.
Vitis pilosonervia F.P.Metcalf
Vitis popenoei J.L.Fennell
Vitis pseudoreticulata W.T.Wang
Vitis quinlingensis P.C.He
Vitis retordii Rom.Caill. ex Planch.
Vitis romanetii Rom.Caill.
Vitis ruyuanensis C.L.Li
Vitis saccharifera Makino
Vitis shenxiensis C.L.Li
Vitis shizishanensis Z.Y.Ma, J.Wen, Q.Fu & X.Q.Liu
Vitis shuttleworthii House
Vitis silvestrii Pamp.
Vitis sinocinerea W.T.Wang
Vitis sinoternata W.T.Wang
Vitis tiliifolia Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.
Vitis tsoi Merr.
Vitis wenchowensis C.Ling
Vitis wenxianensis W.T.Wang
Vitis wilsoniae H.J.Veitch
Vitis wuhanensis C.L.Li
Vitis xunyangensis P.C.He
Vitis yunnanensis C.L.Li
Vitis zhejiang-adstricta P.L.Chiu
There are many cultivars of grapevines; most are cultivars of V. vinifera. One of them includes, Vitis 'Ornamental Grape'.

Hybrid grapes also exist, and these are primarily crosses between V. vinifera and one or more of V. labrusca, V. riparia or V. aestivalis. Hybrids tend to be less susceptible to frost and disease (notably phylloxera), but wine from some hybrids may have a little of the characteristic "foxy" taste of V. labrusca.

The Latin word Vitis is feminine,[19] and therefore adjectival species names take feminine forms, such as V. vinifera.

Ecology
Phylloxera is an American root aphid that devastated V. vinifera vineyards in Europe when accidentally introduced in the late 19th century. Attempts were made to breed in resistance from American species, but many winemakers and customers did not like the unusual flavour profile of the hybrid vines. However, V. vinifera grafts readily onto rootstocks of the American species and their hybrids with V. vinifera, and most commercial production of grapes now relies on such grafts.

Commercial distribution
According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 75,866 square kilometres of the world is dedicated to grapes. Approximately 71% of world grape production is used for wine, 27% as fresh fruit, and 2% as dried fruit. A portion of grape production goes to producing grape juice to be used as a sweetener for fruits canned "with no added sugar" and "100% natural". The area dedicated to vineyards is increasing by about 2% per year.

Domestic cultivation
Grapevines are widely cultivated by gardeners, and numerous suppliers cater specifically for this trade. The plants are valued for their decorative foliage, often colouring brightly in autumn; their ability to clothe walls, pergolas and arches, thus providing shade; and their fruits, which may be eaten as dessert or provide the basis for homemade wines. Popular varieties include:-

Buckland Sweetwater' (white dessert)
'Chardonnay' (white wine)
'Foster's Seedling' (white dessert)
'Grenache' (red wine)
'Muscat of Alexandria' (white dessert)
'Müller-Thurgau' (white wine)
'Phoenix' (white wine)
'Pinot noir' (red wine)
'Regent' (red wine)
'Schiava Grossa' (red dessert)
'Seyval blanc' (white wine)
'Tempranillo' (red wine)

The following varieties have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
'Boskoop Glory' (dessert/wine)
'Brant' (black dessert)
'Claret Cloak' or 'Frovit' (ornamental)
'New York Muscat' (black dessert)
'Purpurea' (ornamental)

Uses
The fruit of several Vitis species are grown commercially for consumption as fresh grapes and for fermentation into wine. Vitis vinifera is the most important such species.

The leaves of several species of grapevine are edible and are used in the production of dolmades and Vietnamese lot leaves.

Culture
The grapevine (typically Vitis vinifera) has been used as a symbol since ancient times. In Greek mythology, Dionysus (called Bacchus by the Romans) was god of the vintage and, therefore, a grapevine with bunches of the fruit are among his attributes. His attendants at the Bacchanalian festivals hence had the vine as an attribute, together with the thyrsus, the latter often entwined with vine branches. For the same reason, the Greek wine cup (cantharos) is commonly decorated with the vine and grapes, wine being drunk as a libation to the god.

The grapevine has a profound symbolic meaning in Jewish tradition and culture since antiquity. It is referenced 55 times in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), along with grapes and wine, which are also frequently mentioned (55 and 19, respectively). It is regarded as one of the Seven Species, and is employed several times in the Bible as a symbol of the Israelites as the chosen people. The grapevine has a prominent place in Jewish rituals: the wine was given a special blessing, "creator of the fruit of the vine", and the Kiddush blessing is recited over wine or grape juice on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. It is also employed in various parables and sayings in rabbinic literature. According to Josephus and the Mishnah, a golden vine was hung over the inner chamber of the Second Temple. The grapevine is featured on Hasmonean and Bar Kokhba revolt coinage, and as a decoration in mosaic floors of ancient synagogues.

In Christian iconography, the vine also frequently appears. It is mentioned several times in the New Testament. We have the parable of the kingdom of heaven likened to the father starting to engage laborers for his vineyard. The vine is used as symbol of Jesus Christ based on his own statement, "I am the true vine (John 15:1)." In that sense, a vine is placed as sole symbol on the tomb of Constantia, the sister of Constantine the Great, and elsewhere. In Byzantine art, the vine and grapes figure in early mosaics, and on the throne of Maximianus of Ravenna it is used as a decoration.

The vine and wheat ear have been frequently used as symbol of the blood and flesh of Christ, hence figuring as symbols (bread and wine) of the Eucharist and are found depicted on ostensories. Often the symbolic vine laden with grapes is found in ecclesiastical decorations with animals biting at the grapes. At times, the vine is used as symbol of temporal blessing.

In Mandaeism, uthras (angels or celestial beings) are often described as personified grapevines (gupna).

View to river and trees in the city, Dusseldorf

High Lux - 17/05/2025 - #260/365

May 16, 2025: Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. Canon FD 135mm lens used.

May 16, 2025: Conejo Valley Botanic Garden. Canon FD 135mm lens used.

Yucca gigantea (syn. Yucca elephantipes) is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family, native to Mexico and Central America. Growing up to 8–12 m (26–39 ft) in height, it is an evergreen shrub which is widely cultivated as an ornamental garden or house plant, often referred to simply as yucca cane. The edible flower is the national flower of El Salvador locally called izote, and it is used extensively in Salvadoran cuisine.

Names
Common names include spineless yucca, soft-tip yucca, blue-stem yucca, giant yucca, yucca cane, and itabo. Its flower, the izote, is the national flower of El Salvador.

Description
Yucca gigantea is typically less than 6 m (20 ft) in height. It may have a thick, single trunk or be multitrunked, growing from a thickened, inflated, trunk-like lower base similar to an elephant's foot. The exceptionally narrow leaves fan out in clumps. They are strap-like, spineless and up to 1.2 m (4 ft) in length. White flowers are produced in the summer. Mature plants produce erect spikes of pendent flowers up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length. Flowers are followed by brown, fleshy fruits which are oval and up to 2.5 cm (1 in) long.

Taxonomy
The French botanist Charles Lemaire published the name Yucca gigantea in November 1859. This is the name used by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families as of January 2014, although other sources use Yucca guatemalensis, published by Baker in 1872.

The species is still most widely known in the horticultural literature as Yucca elephantipes. The first mention of that name was by the German horticulturalist Eduard von Regel in February 1859. He claimed that a different species, Y. aloifolia, was sometimes known as Y. elephantipes when grown in European gardens because of its thickened stem base. However, since he did not intend to offer Y. elephantipes as the actual correct name, this was not a valid publication. In a major article on yuccas and allies in 1902, the American botanist William Trelease also used the name Y. elephantipes, referring to Regel's 1859 publication. This came too late though, as Y. gigantea had by then already been established. Y. elephantipes must therefore be regarded as an illegitimate name, according to the strict rules of the ICN,

Distribution
Yucca gigantea is found natively in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the eastern part of Mexico (Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Veracruz, eastern Puebla and southern Tamaulipas).

It is also reportedly naturalized in Puerto Rico, the Leeward Islands and Ecuador.

Cultivation
The species can be grown in a variety of soils and is drought-tolerant. Young plants are occasionally used as houseplants. However the species grows best in a hot semi-arid climate, so plants are subject to root rot if overwatered. Older plants are generally the most susceptible. For this reason young, shorter trees are superior houseplants as they are more adaptable to environmental changes. The species has some cold tolerance, rated as hardiness zone 9b, but it is nowhere near as hardy as other yucca from more northern deserts. Yucca gigantea can be affected by a number of pests including scale, yucca moth borers, and yucca weevils. Leaf spot may affect the appearance of the leaves, but it does not affect the health of the plant. Propagation is by suckers, cuttings or seed.

Under the synonym Yucca elephantipes this species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Uses
This section describes the gastronomic use of the flower in Latin America, but it is important to note that the specific examples are not unique to that region. There are hundreds of ways the flower is used in cooking due to the hundreds of indigenous tribes spanning from North to South America that ate Yucca flowers.

The flower petals are commonly eaten in Central America, but its reproductive organs (the anthers and ovaries) are first removed because of their bitterness. The petals are blanched for 5 minutes, and then cooked a la mexicana (with tomato, onion, chile) or in tortitas con salsa (egg-battered patties with green or red sauce). In Guatemala, they are boiled and eaten with lemon juice.

In El Salvador, the tender tips of stems are eaten, and known locally as cogollo de izote.

ソテツ・蘇鉄_24y01c
Sotetsu
Japanese sago palm in Kashiwa city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.
[ Cycas revoluta ]
ソテツ科（Cycadaceae）ソテツ属

近所でクロマダラソテツシジミを初見した駐車場のソテツです。
ところどころ葉を食害されているのですが、シジミ蝶の初令幼虫のサイズを考えると、『どうやってこの固い葉を！？』と不思議な気持ちになりました。

雌雄異株の常緑樹で幹の上部に葉を密生させます。葉は羽状複葉と呼ばれるタイプで、細長く尖って硬い小葉を多数付けます。
関東近郊では公園などへの植栽をよく目にします。
樹形、樹高、葉などの雰囲気の違う種類も多いようです。
ナンヨウソテツ（小葉の幅が4倍ほど）、インドソテツ（小葉の幅が2倍ほど）、等々個別に確認していけば自分でも識別可能と考えていますが、幼木では小葉の柔らかさや幅、樹形や樹高の特徴が隠れているので同定が難しそうです。

ソテツ・蘇鉄_24y01b
Sotetsu
Japanese sago palm in Kashiwa city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.
[ Cycas revoluta ]
ソテツ科（Cycadaceae）ソテツ属

近所でクロマダラソテツシジミを初見した駐車場のソテツです。
ところどころ葉を食害されているのですが、シジミ蝶の初令幼虫のサイズを考えると、『どうやってこの固い葉を！？』と不思議な気持ちになりました。

雌雄異株の常緑樹で幹の上部に葉を密生させます。葉は羽状複葉と呼ばれるタイプで、細長く尖って硬い小葉を多数付けます。
関東近郊では公園などへの植栽をよく目にします。
樹形、樹高、葉などの雰囲気の違う種類も多いようです。
ナンヨウソテツ（小葉の幅が4倍ほど）、インドソテツ（小葉の幅が2倍ほど）、等々個別に確認していけば自分でも識別可能と考えていますが、幼木では小葉の柔らかさや幅、樹形や樹高の特徴が隠れているので同定が難しそうです。

ソテツ・蘇鉄_24y01a
Sotetsu
Japanese sago palm in Kashiwa city, Chiba prefecture, Japan.
[ Cycas revoluta ]
ソテツ科（Cycadaceae）ソテツ属

近所でクロマダラソテツシジミを初見した駐車場のソテツです。
ところどころ葉を食害されているのですが、シジミ蝶の初令幼虫のサイズを考えると、『どうやってこの固い葉を！？』と不思議な気持ちになりました。

雌雄異株の常緑樹で幹の上部に葉を密生させます。葉は羽状複葉と呼ばれるタイプで、細長く尖って硬い小葉を多数付けます。
関東近郊では公園などへの植栽をよく目にします。
樹形、樹高、葉などの雰囲気の違う種類も多いようです。
ナンヨウソテツ（小葉の幅が4倍ほど）、インドソテツ（小葉の幅が2倍ほど）、等々個別に確認していけば自分でも識別可能と考えていますが、幼木では小葉の柔らかさや幅、樹形や樹高の特徴が隠れているので同定が難しそうです。