Lambertia formosa is a shrub found in New South Wales, Australia, from the family Proteaceae. It is commonly named mountain devil, after the small devil-figures that were made from its horned woody follicles. Specimens were collected during Lieutenant James Cook's landing at Botany Bay in 1770. First described in 1798 by English botanist James Edward Smith, it is the type species of the small genus Lambertia. It is generally found in heathland or open forest, growing in sandstone-based soils. It grows as a multistemmed shrub to around 2 m (7 ft) with a woody base known as a lignotuber, from which it regrows after bushfire. It has stiff narrow leaves and pink to red flowerheads made up of seven individual tubular flowers that generally appear in spring and summer. The flowers hold profuse amounts of nectar and are pollinated by honeyeaters. Although L. formosa is uncommon in cultivation, it is straightforward to grow in soils with good drainage and a partly shaded to sunny aspect. It is readily propagated by seed. Unlike all other members of the genus Lambertia, L. formosa is resistant to the soil pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

314:

Sylvester I, during whose pontificate the great churches of Rome were built, began his reign as pope. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sylvester_I

1862:

American astronomer Alvan Graham Clark first observed the faint white dwarf companion of Sirius (pictured), the brightest star in the night sky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirius

1900:

Datu Muhammad Salleh, leader of a series of major disturbances in North Borneo, was shot dead in Tambunan, but his followers did not give up for five more years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mat_Salleh_Rebellion

1945:

Second World War: The British 3rd Commando Brigade's victory in the Battle of Hill 170 was crucial in causing the 28th Japanese Army to withdraw from the Arakan peninsula of Burma. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hill_170

2001:

Scottish judges sitting in court in the Netherlands convicted Libyan national Abdelbaset al-Megrahi of 270 counts of murder in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdelbaset_al-Megrahi

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

smaragdine: Having the colour of emeralds. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smaragdine

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

To bear up under loss — to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief — to be victor over anger — to smile when tears are close — to resist evil men and base instincts — to hate hate and to love love — to go on when it would seem good to die — to seek ever after the glory and the dream — to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be — that is what any man can do, and so be great.   --Zane Grey https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Zane_Grey