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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. (Full article...)

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In the news

Elizabeth II

The Commonwealth of Nations celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II (pictured).
In cricket, Gujarat Titans win the Indian Premier League, defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final.
Tara Air Flight 197 crashes in Nepal, killing all 22 people on board.
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On this day

June 4: Trianon Treaty Day in Romania (1920)

Engraving of Old St Paul's Cathedral before the fire

1561 – The spire of Old St Paul's Cathedral in London was destroyed by fire, probably caused by lightning.
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.
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.
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.
1989 – Following the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the Assembly of Experts elected Ali Khamenei to be Supreme Leader of Iran.

Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (d. 1872)
W. H. R. Rivers (d. 1922)
Rodolfo Quezada Toruño (d. 2012)

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The Counting of the Omer is a commandment in Judaism of counting the days that pass between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks). This mitzvah (commandment) derives from a commandment in the Torah to count 49 days beginning from the day on which the Omer, a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley, was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, up until the day before an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on Shavuot. The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th day of Nisan) for Rabbinic Jews (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform), and after the weekly Shabbat during Passover for Karaite Jews, and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, which is the 'fiftieth day'. This image depicts an Omer calendar for 1904 produced by Baruch Zvi Ring with ink, paint, pencil, and watercolor on cut-out paper. It is in the collection of the Jewish Museum in New York.

Artwork credit: Baruch Zvi Ring

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