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>
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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>
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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>
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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>