Acacia pycnantha, commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae native to southeastern Australia. It grows to a height of 8 m (25 ft) and has sickle-shaped phyllodes (flattened leaf stalks) instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late winter and spring, followed by long seed pods. Plants are cross- pollinated by several species of thornbill and honeyeater, which visit nectaries on the phyllodes and brush against flowers, transferring pollen between them. An understorey plant in eucalyptus forest, it is native to southern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and southeastern South Australia. Explorer Thomas Mitchell collected the type specimen, from which George Bentham wrote the species description in 1842. Its bark produces more tannin than any other wattle species, resulting in its commercial cultivation for production of this compound. It has been widely grown as an ornamental garden plant and for cut flower production, but has become a weed in South Africa, Tanzania, Italy, Portugal, Sardinia, India, Indonesia, and New Zealand, as well as Western Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. It was made the official floral emblem of Australia in 1988, and has been featured on the country's postal stamps.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_pycnantha

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1715:

Louis XIV of France, the "Sun King", died after a reign of 72 years, longer than any other French or other major European monarch at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XIV_of_France

1878:

Hired by Alexander Graham Bell, Emma Nutt became the world's first female telephone operator. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Nutt

1902:

The first science fiction film, titled A Trip to the Moon and based on From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne, was released in France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon

1939:

Nazi Germany invaded Poland at Wieluń and Westerplatte, starting World War II in Europe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Poland

1969:

A bloodless coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi overthrew Idris I of Libya. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muammar_Gaddafi

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

owlful: (literary) Full of owls. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/owlful

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Remember we're all in this alone.   --Lily Tomlin https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Lily_Tomlin