Banksia coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet banksia, is an erect shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. It grows along the southern coast of Western Australia on white or grey sand in shrubland, heath or open woodland. Reaching up to 8 m (26 ft) in height, it is a single-stemmed plant with oblong leaves. The prominent red and white flower spikes appear mainly in the spring. As they age they develop small follicles that store seeds until opened by bushfire. Though widely occurring, it is highly sensitive to dieback, and large populations of plants have succumbed to the disease. It was first collected and described by Robert Brown in the early 19th century. The flowers attract nectar- and insect-feeding birds, particularly honeyeaters, and a variety of insects. A popular garden plant and one of the most important Banksia species for the cut flower industry, it is grown commercially in Australia, South Africa, Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Israel. In cultivation, it grows well in a sunny location on well- drained soil, but cannot survive in areas with humid or wet summers.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_coccinea
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1226:
The Catholic practice of Eucharistic adoration among lay people formally began in Avignon, France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharistic_adoration
1789:
Alexander Hamilton, co-writer of the Federalist Papers, became the first US Secretary of the Treasury. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton
1893:
On the opening day of the first Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism to the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Vivekananda
1945:
The Japanese-run camp at Batu Lintang, Sarawak, in Borneo was liberated by the Australian 9th Division, averting the planned massacre of its 2,000-plus Allied POWs and civilian internees by four days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batu_Lintang_camp
1973:
A coup d'état in Chile led by General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the government of President Salvador Allende and established a junta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_Chilean_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
remembrance: 1. The act of remembering; a holding in mind, or bringing to mind; recollection. 2. The state of being remembered, or held in mind; memory, recollection. 3. Something remembered; a person or thing kept in memory. 4. That which serves to keep in or bring to mind; a memento, a memorial, a souvenir, a token; a memorandum or note of something to be remembered. 5. The power of remembering; the reach of personal knowledge; the period over which one's memory extends. 6. (obsolete) Something to be remembered; an admonition, counsel, instruction. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/remembrance
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Terrorists will never be able to defeat the United States. Their only hope is to terrorize us into changing who we are or our way of life. That’s why we Americans will never give in to fear. And it’s why this weekend we remember the true spirit of 9/11. We’re still the America of heroes who ran into harm’s way; of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers; of families who turned their pain into hope. We are still the America that looks out for one another, bound by our shared belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters. We cannot give in to those who would divide us. We cannot react in ways that erode the fabric of our society. Because it’s our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, our treating of everybody fairly — no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith — that’s part of what makes our country great. It’s what makes us resilient. And if we stay true to those values, we’ll uphold the legacy of those we’ve lost, and keep our nation strong and free. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. --Barack Obama https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barack_Obama