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>
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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>
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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>
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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>
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