Banksia canei, the mountain banksia, is a shrub of the subalpine areas
of Australia's Great Dividing Range, between Melbourne and Canberra.
First described in 1967, it superficially resembles B. marginata, but
is more closely related to another subalpine species, B. saxicola.
Although no subspecies are recognised, four geographically isolated
populations have been described. There is significant variation in the
shape of the leaves between populations. B. canei is generally
encountered as a shrub that grows up to 3 m (10 ft) high, with many
branches and narrow leaves, and with yellow inflorescences (flower
spikes) from late summer to early winter. Old flowers fall off the
spikes, and up to 150 seed-bearing follicles develop, which mostly
remain closed until burnt in a bushfire. Birds such as the yellow-tufted
honeyeater and various insects forage among the flower spikes. B. canei
is frost tolerant in cultivation, but copes less well with aridity or
humidity, and is often short-lived in gardens.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksia_canei>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1784:
Élisabeth Thible became the first woman to fly in an
untethered hot air balloon, covering 4 km (2.5 mi) and reaching an
estimated 1,500 m (4,900 ft) altitude.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89lisabeth_Thible>
1920:
The Kingdom of Hungary lost 72 percent of its territory and
64 percent of its population with the signing of the Treaty of Trianon
in Paris.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianon>
1942:
World War II: The Battle of Midway, a major battle of the
Pacific War, began with a massive Japanese offensive on American forces
on Midway Atoll.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway>
1989:
Following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Assembly of
Experts elected Ali Khamenei to be Supreme Leader of Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Khamenei>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
ghrelin:
(biochemistry) A peptide hormone, secreted in the stomach when empty,
that increases appetite and secretion of growth hormone from the
pituitary gland.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ghrelin>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Exactly one hundred days ago we all woke up in a different
reality. Exactly one hundred days ago, different us woke up. When
Ukrainians are awakened not by the sun's rays, but by the explosions of
missiles that hit our homes, then completely different Ukrainians wake
up. In 2014, Russia came to us with one word, with a new word. And this
is the word "war". On February 24, Russia added another word to it,
making the phrase "full-scale war."
--Volodymyr Zelenskyy
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Zelenskyy>
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