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 perennial plant that grows in sunny deep pool of forests in the mountain areas and at grasslands (perennial plant takes several years to grow). Gagea lutea bear yellow flowers like Amana edulis of the same Liliaceae group. This is why they are named Gagea lutea. While Amana edulis bear only one flower at the top of stalk, Gagea lutea carry several flowers on the top of the stalk, 10 at most. The flower is about 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter with 6 flower petals. Inside of the petals, it’s yellow and outside of it it’s green. Just below the flower, green small bract (Houyou: protecting an inflorescence). The peduncles (stalk bearing an inflorescence) vary in length but about 1 to 5 cm. Flowers bloom only when it’ a clear day, while close when it’s rainy or cloudy. One radical leaf (KON-SEI-YO: leaf spring up from the place about stalk root) is about 15 to 20 cm long and thin, grows higher than flower stalk (Kakei: stalk that can have flowers without leaves). Flower stalk is slightly thick, whitish green. When the flowers wither, they bear spherical seeds about 7 mm long.
●Season Late March to about Mid April
●Height about 15 to 20 cm
●Place Ura-Takao
●Season Late March to about Mid April
●Height about 15 to 20 cm
●Place Ura-Takao