ネジキの果実：Fruit of Nejiki (Lyonia ovalifolia ssp. neziki)

小倉山山麓のネジキに、多数の果実を見ました。ネジキは一般に林縁に他の樹木に紛れて生えていて、果実の実りも少ないのですが、この場所は日当たりが良いせいか、枝全体に果実が実り、今はそれが乾いて種子を散らしているようです。鹿の増加で、アセビやネジキなどの毒を含み鹿が嫌う樹木ばかりが山麓に残るようになってしまいました。多様性を回復させるべく範囲を囲って在来の樹木を育成しようとする試みがなされています。

I saw a number of fruits on a Nejiki tree at the foot of Mt. Ogura. The tree generally grows among other trees at the edge of the forest and bears few fruits, but perhaps because of the sunshine in this area, the fruits are plenty all over the branches, and now they seem to be drying up and scattering their seeds. With the increase in the number of deer, only trees that are poisonous and hated by deer, such as Asebi (Japanese andromeda) and Nejiki, remain. In order to restore diversity, attempts are being made to enclose severalareas and nurture the native trees.

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Photos 2022-01-27