Banksia sessilis is a large shrub or small tree in the family Proteaceae. First collected and described by Robert Brown in the early 19th century, the species grows widely throughout southwest Western Australia. It has prickly dark green leaves and dome-shaped cream-yellow flowerheads. Flowering from winter through to late spring, it provides a key source of food—both the nectar and the insects it attracts—for honeyeaters in the cooler months, and species diversity is reduced in areas where the plant does not occur. Several species of honeyeater, some species of native bee, and the European honey bee seek out and consume the nectar, while the long-billed black cockatoo and Australian ringneck eat the seed. The life cycle of B. sessilis is adapted to regular bushfires. Killed by fire and regenerating by seed afterwards, each shrub generally produces many flowerheads and a massive amount of seed. The species can recolonise disturbed areas, and may grow in thickets.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_sessilis
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1936:
African-American athlete Jesse Owens won the first of his four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, dashing Nazi leaders' hopes of Aryan domination at the games. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens
1940:
World War II: Italian forces began a conquest of British Somaliland, capturing the region in 16 days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_conquest_of_British_Somaliland
2005:
Former mayor of Tehran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office as the sixth president of Iran. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Ahmadinejad
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
kite: 1. (transitive) To cause (something) to move upwards rapidly like a toy kite; also (chiefly US, figuratively) to cause (something, such as costs) to increase rapidly. 2. (transitive, slang) To tamper with a document or record by increasing the quantity of something beyond its proper amount so that the difference may be unlawfully retained; in particular, to alter a medical prescription for this purpose by increasing the number of pills or other items. 3. (transitive, video games) To keep ahead of (an enemy) in order to attack repeatedly from a distance, without exposing oneself to danger. 4. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) glide in the manner of a kite (“bird”). 5. (transitive, intransitive, banking, slang) To write or present (a cheque) on an account with insufficient funds, either to defraud or expecting that funds will become available by the time the cheque clears. 6. (transitive, intransitive, US, slang, by extension) To steal. 7. (transitive, intransitive, rare) To manipulate like a toy kite; also, usually preceded by an inflection of go: to fly a toy kite. 8. (intransitive) To travel by kite, as when kitesurfing. 9. (intransitive, figuratively) To move rapidly; to rush. 10. (intransitive, engineering, nautical) To deflect sideways in the water. 11. (intransitive, US, prison slang) To pass a (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially illegally into, within, or out of a prison. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kite
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
When things don't go your way — or, rather, what you don't think of as your way — there can be a variety of opportunities that may not be obvious in the moment but that through hard work, preparation, and persistence can present themselves over time and make you better. --Tom Brady https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tom_Brady