TAKAO 599 MUSEUM

Treasures of Mt. Takao

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).

Magnolia praecocissima
Magnolia praecocissima Magnoliaceae
They are a deciduous tall tree that grows wild around hilly district to the mountain areas. Cortex is smooth feeling to touch and whitish gray color with small lenticels. The trunk grows to be about 20 to 30 cm wide. New branches are tinged with purplish green. The leaves are wide egged-shaped, about 6 to 15 cm long and about 3 to 6 cm wide, thin and machine-made paper feeling to touch. When they are kneaded they smell strong odor, and when we bite them they taste bitter. The blossom seasons are March to May, white flowers with sweet smell blossom before the leaves are open. The flower is about 6 to 10 cm in diameter with 6 flower petals. The portion at the root of the flower is tinged with red. The characteristic is 1 small leaf grows below the flower. The seeds are aggregate fruit (Syugo-ka) which consists of many small seedlings, thin uneven membrane-enclosed surface, about 7 to 15 cm long. It is said that people use Japanese name to resemble fists. When the seeds get matured in September to October, they get vertically split to dangle red seedlings.

●Height about 10 to 20 m
●Place Oku-Takao
※Quotation from Mount Takao formula application
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