Ficus macrophylla, the Moreton Bay fig, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia. A strangler fig, it usually germinates in the canopy of a host tree and lives as an epiphyte until its roots establish contact with the ground; it then enlarges, reaching up to 60 m (200 ft) in height. The large leathery, dark green leaves are 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long. The fruit is small, round and greenish, ripening and turning purple at any time of year. Inverted inflorescences, with flowers lining an internal cavity, are pollinated only by fig wasps. Many bird species, including pigeons, parrots and various passerines, eat the fruit. Old specimens of F. macrophylla can reach tremendous size with imposing buttress roots, and the species is widely used as a feature tree in public parks and gardens in warmer climates. Its aggressive root system renders it unsuitable for all but the largest private gardens.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_macrophylla
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1917:
First World War: Troops of the British Empire defeated Ottoman forces at the Battle of Rafa on the Sinai–Palestine border in present- day Rafah. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Rafa
1996:
First Chechen War: Chechen separatists launched raids in the city of Kizlyar, Dagestan, which turned into a massive hostage crisis involving thousands of civilians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kizlyar%E2%80%93Pervomayskoye_hostage_crisis
2011:
In poor weather conditions, Iran Air Flight 277 crashed near Urmia Airport, Iran, killing at 78 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_Air_Flight_277
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
cryptodepression: (geography, limnology) The portion of a lake which lies below sea level. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cryptodepression
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
We gather due to a selfish man's injured pride, and the outrage of supporters who he has deliberately misinformed for the past two months and stirred to action this very morning. What happened here today was an insurrection incited by the President of the United States. Those who choose to continue to support his dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy. … For any who remain insistent on an audit in order to satisfy the many people who believe that the election was stolen, I'd offer this perspective — no Congressional audit is ever going to convince these voters, particularly when the President will continue to say that the election was stolen. The best way we could show respect for the voters who were upset is by telling them the truth. That's the burden, that's the duty of leadership. The truth is that President-elect Biden won the election, President Trump lost. --Mitt Romney https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney