Alloxylon flammeum, commonly known as the Queensland tree waratah or red
silky oak, is a medium-sized tree of the family Proteaceae found in the
Queensland tropical rain forests. It has shiny green elliptical leaves
up to 18 cm (7.2 in) long, and prominent orange-red inflorescences
that appear from August to October, followed by rectangular woody seed
pods that ripen in February and March. Juvenile plants have large (up to
25 cm (10 in) long) deeply lobed pinnate leaves. Previously known as
Oreocallis wickhamii, the initial specimen turned out to be a different
species to the one cultivated and hence a new scientific name was
required. Described formally in 1991, A. flammeum was designated the
type species of the genus Alloxylon. Alloxylon flammeum is a canopy or
emergent tree of the Mabi rainforest community of north Queensland. It
is readily adaptable to cultivation, and prefers a site with good
drainage. The tree's terminal tubular flowers indicate that the species
is pollinated by birds. It is listed nationally as vulnerable under the
Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
as most of its habitat has been cleared for agriculture and logging.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloxylon_flammeum>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
238:
Because of his father's advanced age, Gordian II was proclaimed
joint Roman emperor with Gordian I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordian_I>
1508:
Ferdinand II of Aragon appointed Amerigo Vespucci to the post
of Chief Navigator of Spain.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amerigo_Vespucci>
1765:
The Parliament of Great Britain passed the Stamp Act, requiring
that many printed materials in the Thirteen Colonies in British America
carry a tax stamp.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_Act_1765>
1984:
In what would be the longest and costliest criminal trial in
United States history, teachers at the McMartin preschool in Manhattan
Beach, California, were falsely charged with satanic ritual abuse of
schoolchildren.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMartin_preschool_trial>
1995:
Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov of the Soyuz programme
returned from the Mir space station after 437 days in space, setting a
record for the longest spaceflight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valeri_Polyakov>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
perfusion:
(medicine) The introduction of a drug or nutrients through the
bloodstream in order to reach an internal organ or tissues.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/perfusion>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I have spent more than half a lifetime trying to express the
tragic moment.
--Marcel Marceau
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Marcel_Marceau>