The flora of Madagascar consists of more than 12,000 species of vascular and non-vascular plants. Around 83 per cent of Madagascar's vascular plants are found only on the island. These include five entirely endemic plant families as well as most of the over 900 orchid species, the traveller's tree, the Madagascar periwinkle, six species of baobab (pictured) and around 200 species of palms. The high degree of endemism is due to Madagascar's long isolation following its separation from the African and Indian landmasses in the Mesozoic Era. Today, humid forests, including the lowland forests, are found on the eastern plateau. Much of the central highlands is grassland. In the west are dry forest and succulent woodland. Unique spiny thickets are in the southwest, and mangroves occur on the west coast. While 10 per cent of the land surface is protected, much of the native flora is threatened, especially through dramatic deforestation.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_of_Madagascar
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1812:
Napoleonic Wars: The French Grande Armée and the Imperial Russian Army fought near the village of Borodino during the French invasion of Russia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Borodino
1940:
Second World War: The Luftwaffe changed their strategy in the Battle of Britain and began bombing London and other cities and towns for more than 50 consecutive nights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz
1986:
Desmond Tutu became the first black leader of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu
2010:
A Chinese fishing trawler operating in disputed waters collided with Japan Coast Guard patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands, sparking a major diplomatic dispute between the two countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Senkaku_boat_collision_incident
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
spit: 1. A thin metal or wooden rod on which meat is skewered for cooking, often over a fire. 2. A generally low, narrow, pointed, usually sandy peninsula. […] 3. (uncountable) Saliva, especially when expectorated. 4. (countable) An instance of spitting; specifically, a light fall of rain or snow. […] 5. The depth to which the blade of a spade goes into the soil when it is used for digging; a layer of soil of the depth of a spade's blade. 6. The amount of soil that a spade holds; a spadeful. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/spit
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Donald Trump’s hold on history loosened, and may be breaking. In some new way his limitations are being seen and acknowledged, and at a moment when people are worried about the continuance of their country and their own ability to continue within it. He hasn’t been equal to the multiple crises. Good news or bad, he rarely makes any situation better. And everyone kind of knows. --Peggy Noonan https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Peggy_Noonan