Mt Takao is located at the borderline of warm-temperature zone and cool-temperature zone and various plants from both zones grow. There are a lot of naturally grown plants and their visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers. Over 1,500 kinds of plants are confirmed which is relevant to the number of kinds naturally grow in England. Also, over 60 kinds of plants are first found in Mt. Takao such as Takao Sumire (V. yezoensis f. discolor) and Takao Higodai (Saussurea sinuatoides).
They are a perennial plant that grows in the pool of the forests and in the forests in a mountain district and on the mountain. (Perennial plant takes several years to grow).
They grow 2 inflorescences (Kajo: arrangement of flowers on a stalk), and this is why they are named ‘Chloranthus serratus’ (Hutari-Shizuka) compared to Chloranthus japonicus. 4 leaves in two pairs at the upper portion of the stalk expand at small intervals with inflorescences with a little white flower about 2 to 5 cm long sprouting in the center. Many produce 2 sprouting, while some do 3 to 5. What seems to be white is all a male stamen and has no flower petals or calyxes. The male stamen is not filiform shape unlike Chloranthus japonicus but rice grain shape that 3 male stamens hold to cover female stamens. The leaves are elliptically-shaped about 8 to 16 mm, not shiny, with a sharp sawtooth at the edge (Kyoshi: tooth-like rough part like a saw at the root of a leaf) at the edge. During the summer to the autumn, cleistogamous flower develops which is not open for pollination.
●Season Late May to about Late June
●Height about 30 to 50 cm
●Place Trail 3, Ura-Takao, Oku-Takao
They grow 2 inflorescences (Kajo: arrangement of flowers on a stalk), and this is why they are named ‘Chloranthus serratus’ (Hutari-Shizuka) compared to Chloranthus japonicus. 4 leaves in two pairs at the upper portion of the stalk expand at small intervals with inflorescences with a little white flower about 2 to 5 cm long sprouting in the center. Many produce 2 sprouting, while some do 3 to 5. What seems to be white is all a male stamen and has no flower petals or calyxes. The male stamen is not filiform shape unlike Chloranthus japonicus but rice grain shape that 3 male stamens hold to cover female stamens. The leaves are elliptically-shaped about 8 to 16 mm, not shiny, with a sharp sawtooth at the edge (Kyoshi: tooth-like rough part like a saw at the root of a leaf) at the edge. During the summer to the autumn, cleistogamous flower develops which is not open for pollination.
●Season Late May to about Late June
●Height about 30 to 50 cm
●Place Trail 3, Ura-Takao, Oku-Takao