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>
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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>
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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>
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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>
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