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Tagetes

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Tagetes

Tagetes are beautiful flowers.

  • Tagetes are a group of plants that consists of both annual and perennial plant species, that are native to the Americas.
  • Tagetes are commonly called marigolds, although the common name ‘marigold’ is also applied to other plants like Calendula officinalis.
  • There are 56 species of Tagetes, that are from the family Asteraceae, the family of sunflowers and daisies, and most have green feather-like foliage.
  • Tagetes can grow to be 0.1 to 2.2 metres (0.3 to 7.2 feet) in height, and are easily grown from seed, and they can flower in spring, summer and autumn, depending on the species.
  • Tagetes flowers are generally coloured bright orange, gold, white, red and yellow, and they generally have flower heads with a diameter of 4 to 6 centimetres (1.6 to 2.4 inches).

Tagetes, Flower, Orange, Marigold, Fluro, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Tagetes can be used in food flavourings or in tobacco, and can have oil extracted from them, which is called ‘Tagetes oil’, ‘tagette oil’ or ‘marigold oil’, that can be used in perfume.
  • Some species of Tagetes contain a natural food colouring, that in some countries is often used in dairy products, sweets, pasta, condiments and juice, among others.
  • In some countries, the Tagetes minuta species is classified as an invasive weed.
  • Tagetes grow best in full sun, are not very hardy against frosts, and are commonly grown in the garden or in pots to brighten up an area.
  • Tagetes mostly fall into four categories: French Marigolds; Mexican Marigolds; Triploids; and Single Marigolds, and there are numerous hybrids in these groups.

 

Bibliography:
Tagetes, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagetes
Tagetes spp., 2003, Floridata, http://www.floridata.com/ref/t/tage_spp.cfm

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Trango Towers

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Trango Towers

Trango Towers are only for the determined.

  • The Trango Towers are a cluster of tall, erect rocks located in the Baltoro region of the Karakoram range, in Asia’s Pakistan.
  • The Trango Towers’ highest point, is the top of Great Trango Tower, that reaches 6,286 metres (20,623 feet) above sea level.
  • The Great Trango Tower is the record holder for the ‘greatest nearly vertical drop’ in the world at 1340 metres (4396 feet).
  • There are a number of routes to the different summits, and all require experience in rock climbing, and are of a technical nature.
  • The Nameless Tower was the first of the Trango Towers to be successfully climbed, first in 1976 by Englishman Joe Brown, a rock climbing pioneer, accompanied by three other men.

Trango Towers, White, Group, Tall, Range, Cliff, Nameless Tower, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

The Nameless Tower of the Trango Towers
Image courtesy of Stefanos Nikologiannis/Flickr
  • Altitude sickness can be a hazard when climbing one of the rocks of the Trango Towers, so precautions, like acclimatisation, are recommended.
  • Before climbing the Trango Towers, a permit is required, and this can be obtained from the Pakistan Ministry of Tourism.
  • The Great Trango Tower was first climbed in 1977 by five mountaineers: Dennis Hennek, Jim Morrissey, John Roskelley, Galen Rowell, and Kim Schmitz.
  • The Trango Towers are made of tall granite rock spokes, and they were first opened for public climbing in 1975.
  • A few thousand dollars can pay for an organised tour to climb one of the Trango Tower peaks, and the cost sometimes includes a porter.
Bibliography: Middendorf J, Trango Primer, n.d, Big Walls, http://www.bigwalls.net/climb/trango.html
Trango Towers, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trango_Towers

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Lampshade

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Lampshade

These facts are shaded with a lampshade.

  • Lampshades are covers that spread the light produced by a lamp’s light bulb.
  • Lampshades were first used on public lanterns, in Europe’s Italy and Paris, in the late 1700s, to focus light downwards.
  • Lampshades became more prominently used in the late 1800s, to cover the bright light of Thomas Edison’s and Joseph Swan’s newly invented electric light bulb in 1879.
  • Lampshades are generally in the shape of a cylinder or cone, and come in a range of designs.
  • Lampshades have, in more modern times, been used more prominently for decorative purposes instead of shading purposes.

Lampshade, White, Cream, Textile, Fabric, Lamp, Tall, Large, Ten Random Facts

  • Lampshades are typically made of glass, textiles, plastic, or paper, and they often have a metal framework that supports the material, and attaches the shade to the lamp.
  • The term ‘lampshade’ sometimes refers to a cover on a light attached to the ceiling.
  • Beads, fringes, embroidery and coloured materials are some items used for decorating lampshades.
  • Lampshades are often sold separately to the lamp, so if the shade is damaged or dirtied, a replacement can easily be purchased.
  • A lampshade can also be called a ‘lamp shade’ or a ‘light shade’.

 

Bibliography:
Lampshade, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lampshade
What are Lamp Shades?, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-lamp-shades.htm
Williams P, History of Lampshades, 2013, Shades of Light & Design, http://shadesoflightanddesign.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/history-of-lampshades.html

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Lemon

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Lemon

Lemons are really quite amazing.

  • Lemon is a citrus fruit from a small tree that is evergreen, that is generally believed to be native to China, India, and Burma (Myanmar), in Asia.
  • Lemons are from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus, and have the scientific name of Citrus x limon, belonging to the Citrus genus, and are hybrids that are most likely a cross between a pomelo and a citron.
  • Lemons are primarily used for its juice and rind, to make beverages; for flavouring; or to make condiments; and they can also be pickled and used as a temporary preservative, and can cause amines to become neutral when used on fish.
  • Lemon juice contains a high content of citric acid, 5% to 6%, which causes the fruit to taste sour.
  • Lemon juice can be used to remove odour from hands, and may also be used as a degreaser, bleach, and disinfectant, and has more uses with added salt or baking soda.

Lemon, Yellow, Orange, Citrus, Two, Cut, Whole Halves, Fruit, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Lemons are an oval shape, and have a skin colour ranging from yellow to orange that can be either smooth or bumpy, and thick or thin, depending on the variety.
  • In 2011, the total world production of lemons was 13,888,000 tonnes (15,309,000 tons), and China produced the most lemons in the world, with 2,319,000 tonnes (2,556,000 tons), and Mexico and India were also large producers.
  • Lemon juice is often used by cash handlers, such as cashiers, to moisten fingers and are commonly used in school science experiments as an acid or to create a battery.
  • Lemons are usually 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) in length, and contain 8 to 10 inner parts, known as segments, that usually contain seeds.
  • Lemons are very high in vitamin C, are a good source of dietary fibre, and they also contain quantities of other vitamins and minerals, and can improve the human immune system’s function, as well as have many other positive health effects.

 

Bibliography:
Lemon, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon
Lemon/Limes, 2014, The World’s Healthiest Foods, http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=27

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Snowy Owl

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Snowy Owl

Snowy owls are quite cool.

  • Snowy owls are large owls from the Strigidae family, the family of true owls, and have the scientific name Bubo scandiacus.
  • The snowy owl is native to northern Eurasia and northern parts of North America, and is also known as a ‘Great white owl’, ‘Ghost owl’, ‘Snow owl’, ‘Arctic owl’, ‘Ermine owl’, ‘Ookpik’, ‘Tundra ghost’, ‘White terror of the north’, ‘Highland tundra owl’, and ‘Scandinavian nightbird’.
  • Snowy owls have yellow eyes; beaks that are black; and feathers coloured white, with black markings, and females look darker and have more prominent markings.
  • Snowy owls grow to be 52 to 71 centimetres (20 to 28 inches) in height, and have a wingspan of 125 to 150 centimetres (49 to 59 inches).
  • Snowy owls typically weigh 1.6 to 3 kilograms (3.5 to 6.6 pounds)and have an average lifespan of 9.5 years, although in captivity they can live up to 35 years.

Snowy Owl, Bird, Sunset, Rise, White, Female, Ten Random Facts, Fence

Snowy Owl
Image courtesy of David Mitchell/Flickr
  • Snowy owls build their nest on or near the ground, preferably on a high spot like a boulder or mound with a good view, generally by scraping the ground with their talons, and sometimes they use nests of other birds.
  • Female snowy owls produce from three to eleven white eggs in one clutch, and the eggs do not hatch all at once.
  • A snowy owls’ diet includes rodents, birds, fish and small mammals, although it mainly consists of lemmings that they swallow whole, with each owl consuming three to five per day, or more than 1600 in a year, while their young usually need two per day.
  • Snowy owls’ nests are preyed on by dogs, foxes, wolves and birds, however, the male owl usually stands guard, and both will launch an attack to defend their nest and young.
  • Snowy owls, are different to most owls, in that they generally hunt during daylight hours.
Bibliography:
Snowy Owl, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/birds/snowy-owl/
Snowy Owl, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_owl
Lewis D, Snowy Owl – Bubo Sacndiacus, 2013, The Owl Pages, http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Bubo&species=scandiacus
Snowy Owl, 2013, Defenders of Wildlife, http://www.defenders.org/snowy-owl/basic-facts

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Glitter

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Glitter

Don’t you love to make things sparkle with glitter?

  • Glitter is typically tiny, flat particles made from material that has reflective properties, and the word comes from the Old Norse word ‘glitra’, which means ‘to shine’.
  • Glitter was historically made of minerals, including mica and malachite to enhance cave paintings, and as a cosmetic, to dust women’s faces for decorative purposes in ancient times.
  • In 1934, Henry Ruschmann, a farmer from Bernardsville, in United States’ New Jersey, created plastic glitter due to the lack of German glass particles during World War II.
  • In the past, glitter has also been made from glass, which continues to be manufactured, and insects, and is now generally made from plastic, including polyester, acrylic, thermoplastic and copolymer, with the addition of aluminium, iron oxide, titanium dioxide or other reflective ingredients.
  • Glitter comes in numerous shapes, sizes and colours, and can be as small as 1.3 square millimetres (0.002 square inches) or 50 microns and as large as 16o square millimetres (0.25 square inches) or 6250 microns.

Glitter, Small, Jars, Bottles, Three, Gold, Blue, Silver, Yellow, White, Ten Random Facts

  • In one decade, beginning in 1989, 4.5 million kilograms (10 million pounds) of glitter was manufactured.
  • Glitter is commonly used for decorative purposes, on clothing, in cosmetics, and in the crafts industry, and it is sometimes included in glue, and is often used by children to decorate drawings or other pictures.
  • Edible glitter has become a popular cake decorating medium and can be used to decorate other food items as well, and it is often made from gum arabic, however some ‘food safe’ glitter is not necessarily edible.
  • Glitter is commonly used on fish lures to imitate the reflective scales of real fish.
  • If glitter is found in a crime scene, it can be used as effective evidence due to the abundance of unique particle types, at least 20,000, that can be matched, to narrow down suspects.

 

Bibliography: Glitter, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitter
Mangum A, Glitter: A Brief History, 2007, New York Stories, http://nymag.com/shopping/features/38914/
Simpkins C, How is Glitter Made, nd, Creative Bug, http://crafts.creativebug.com/glitter-made-1389.html

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