{"id":1472,"date":"2010-03-16T23:12:00","date_gmt":"2010-03-16T14:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-03-16\/1472"},"modified":"2010-03-16T23:12:00","modified_gmt":"2010-03-16T14:12:00","slug":"a-visit-to-the-yaeyama-palm-reserve-on-ishigaki-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2010-03-16\/1472","title":{"rendered":"A Visit to the Yaeyama Palm Reserve on Ishigaki Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\nNOTE<\/b>: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBig Leaf<\/span>\nbut I don't really know how big, 'cause I forgot<\/span> to include something for comparison\n<\/div>\n\n

It's been a while since I posted anything from our trip last May to Ishigaki\nIsland<\/a> in the far south of Japan, the previous post on the subject\nhaving been“Anthony Gets\nCrabby<\/a>”, from toward the end of the trip's third day.<\/p>\n\n

We started off Day 4, the last day of the trip, taking a drive<\/span> up the\ncenter of the island to the fairly remote, complexly-named Yonehara\nYaeyama-Palm Reserve<\/i> (\u7c73\u539f<\/span>\u30e4\u30a8\u30e4\u30de\u30e4\u30b7\u7fa4\u843d).<\/span> For us it<\/span> consisted of a mildly<\/span>\njungle-like path where you can see some tall palm trees that are apparently\nfound only in this part of the world.<\/p>\n\n

Prior to reaching the palm trees, there's a huge<\/span> variety of vegetation.\nJust off the parking lot, I liked<\/span> the semi-transparent leaf that opens this\npost, viewed from below and back-lit by the sun. I just can<\/span>'t remember\nwhether it was two inches across or two feet across. Probably closer to the\nlatter, as there were a lot<\/span> of big plants on the island (such as these ferns<\/a> I posted<\/span> last\nyear).<\/p>\n\n

Then there were these sort of creepy trees with wart-like fruit....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSort of Creepy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

A sign referred to them as giran'inubiwa<\/i> (\u30ae\u30e9\u30f3\u30a4\u30cc\u30d3\u30ef), which\nis\napparently<\/a> the Japanese name for the scientific ficus variegata var.\nsycomoides<\/i>, which is apparently some kind of fig or mulberry. Was sort of<\/span> creepy to me.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 1000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nHere, The Creepy<\/span> Sort of Sneaks Up on You<\/span>\nat least in the full-size version you get when clicking through\n<\/div>\n\n

Anyway, the palm trees were indeed really tall, but I am<\/span> never able to\ncapture height in these situations....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTall Palms<\/span>\ntake my word for it\n<\/div>\n\n

Hah, now that I think about it, compare that photo to the lead photo on\n“A Visit<\/span>\nto Kyoto's Sanzen-in Temple, Part II<\/a>”, of some very tall\ncedars... the composition is almost identical! I guess<\/span> I need<\/span> to try\nsomething new.<\/p>\n\n

The base of these trees appears to be a thick<\/span> bundle of stringy roots,\nmuch like a super<\/span>-duper-sized version of bamboo roots<\/a>....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBase of the Tree<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

These trees are called yaeyamayashi<\/i> (\u30e4\u30a8\u30e4\u30de\u30e4\u30b7),\n“Yaeyama” referring to the small cluster of islands that makes\nup the small southern section of Okinawa prefecture where we were, and\n“yashi” meaning “palm tree”. As best I<\/span> can tell its\nscientific name is satakentia\nliukiuensis<\/a>. According to the IUCN<\/a>\nit grows only on this\nand one nearby island<\/a>. I didn't<\/span> really know any of this when I was<\/span>\nthere, and wouldn't have really cared much if I had<\/span>; it was just a pretty<\/span>\nplace to take a stroll.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

It's interesting to see that the big bundle of roots survives long after\nthe tree has died and rotted away....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 38 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/7.1, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGaping Hole<\/span>\njust over a foot across\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm, cropped — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nZippy Little Friend<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

While we were there, I noticed<\/span> a little<\/span> gecko-ish lizard on the trunk\nof one of these trees. He was difficult<\/span> to see, and moved quickly, but\nAnthony had a great<\/span> time following him. Here he is on one of the root bundles...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D700 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMichelangelo's Inspiration?<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I find the root “strings” almost mesmerizing. It looks<\/span> as if they were\nmade by pumping huge quantities of Play-Doh through a colander.<\/span> Freaky.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It's been a while since I posted anything from our trip last May to Ishigaki Island in the far south of Japan, the previous post on the subject having been\"Anthony Gets Crabby\", from toward the end of the trip's third day.<\/p>

We started off Day 4, the last day of the trip, taking a drive up the center of the island to the fairly remote, complexly-named Yonehara Yaeyama-Palm Reserve (\u7c73\u539f\u30e4\u30a8\u30e4\u30de\u30e4\u30b7\u7fa4\u843d). For us it consisted of a mildly jungle-like path where you can see some tall palm trees that are apparently found only in this part of the world.<\/p>

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