Tag Archives: Facts

Christmas Card

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Christmas Card

“Have a very merry Christmas and fun handing out Christmas cards!” – from Ten Random Facts.

  • ‘Christmas cards’ are also known as ‘holiday cards’ and traditionally have greetings, commonly “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally exchanged during the Christmas season and are often posted or given out as early as November.
  • Printed Christmas cards were first produced by the Englishmen, Sir Henry Cole with artwork by John Horsley, in 1843, partly to make use of the new, cheap, postal service.
  • Christmas cards originally depicted the season of spring, typically flowers, unlike the Christmas designs now found on cards.
  • American Louis Prang significantly increased the popularity of Christmas cards, notably introducing the cards to America in the 1870s.

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  • Christmas cards are typically bought singularly or in packets of two or more, and can be found in supermarkets, department stores, newsagents and other shops, and they can also be purchased through charities to help raise funds for their organisation.
  • In 2005, residents of the United States sent 1.9 billion Christmas cards, and in 2008, the British sent nearly 670 million cards, although in the past decade their has been a decrease in the number of cards purchased, due to the higher costs of postage, cost of cards, economic climate, availability of e-cards and the use of email and social media.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally made of card (strong paper), but more recently electronic cards have been designed and are generally cheaper.
  • Christmas cards are commonly collected by many people, and Queen Mary’s (1867 – 1953) collection of cards is owned by the British Museum.
  • Of the 1000 Christmas cards that were printed for Sir Henry Cole, only 10-12 have survived the centuries, one of which sold in 2001 for £22,500.

If you would like to buy some Christmas cards depicted in the photograph, visit Imagine Make Believe.

Bibliography:
Christmas Card, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_card
Copper J, The History of Christmas Cards, Why Christmas, http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml

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Poinsettia

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Poinsettia

An important Christmas flower: poinsettia.

  • Poinsettias are decorative plants, from the family Euphorbiaceae, the family of spurges.
  • Poinsettias are small trees or shrubs that grow from 0.6 to 4 metres (2 to 13 feet) in height, and have large leaves.
  • The scientific name of poinsettias is ‘Euphorbia pulcherrima’, and they are also known as ‘lobster flowers’ and ‘flame-leaf flowers’ and there are over 100 varieties of the plant.
  • Poinsettias are native to Central America and Mexico and can be found in forests, which is their natural habitat.
  • Poinsettias are a popular, symbolic Christmas plant, as they resemble the colours of Christmas, typically being red and green coloured.

Poinsettia, Red, Green, Christmas, Plant, Winter, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not dangerously poisonous, although the sap can cause sickness if consumed and an allergic reaction can occur for some people if they touch the sap.
  • Poinsettias are primarily green, although the bracts, that are often mistaken as the flower, come in various colours, and different varieties can be found in red, orange, pink, white, pale shades and white shades, as well as speckled and multicoloured.
  • Poinsettia flowers are generally small, clustered, and yellow in colour, centred in the middle of the bracts.
  • Poinsettias are popularly grown indoors and although they are often incorrectly believed to lack survival outside, they can be grown outside all year round, as long as they are not exposed to frost.
  • ‘Poinsettia’ is named after Joel Poinsett, who was a politician, physician and botanist, and the first United States Minister to Mexico.
Bibliography:
Poinsettia, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia
Poinsettia Facts, 2013, University of Illinois Extension, http://urbanext.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm

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Chandelier

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Chandelier

An important addition to all spectacular homes: a chandelier.

  • Chandeliers are large decorative light fittings, usually able to hold multiple bulbs or candles, and are hung from ceilings.
  • ‘Chandelier’ comes from the old French word ‘chandelabre’, that has its origins in the word ‘candelabrum’, a Latin word meaning ‘candlestick’.
  • The first chandeliers were originally wooden cross-sections that held candles during the Middle Ages.
  • Chandeliers are typically used for decoration and luminescence, and add a feeling of luxury, although they are not so common as they once were one or two centuries ago.
  • The largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in existence today weighs 6 tonnes (4.5 tons) and was given to Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey, by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, however, larger crystal chandeliers can be seen, including a Swarovski crystal one in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman, which is 8 metres wide and has a height of 14 metres.

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  • Chandeliers were historically made from wood, brass, iron and other metals, and glass and crystal were added to spectacularly disperse and reflect light throughout the room.
  • Chandeliers were originally only owned by the higher classes and were a symbol of wealth, and Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey has one of the most extensive chandelier collections in the world.
  • Chandeliers were often powered by gas and electricity from the 1800s, and during that time, crystals were sometimes included.
  • Authentic chandeliers originating from the Middle Ages are quite rare, as most hung in churches and were destroyed in the 1500s due to the reformation.
  • Chandeliers have been produced in numerous different styles, and the largest chandelier in the world in 2010, called ‘Reflective Flow’ is a non-traditional chandelier that holds 165,000 LED lights, has a weight of 18, 000 kg (39, 683 lb), is 5.8 m (19 ft) tall, 12.5 m (41 ft) wide, and 38.5 m (126 ft 4 in) long, and hangs in the atrium of the Al Hitmi office building in Doha, Qatar.
Bibliography:
Chandelier, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelier
History of Pendant Lamps – the Chandelier, 2010, Designboom, http://www.designboom.com/history/p_chandelier.html

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Ochna Serrulata (Mickey Mouse Bush)

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Ochna Serrulata (Mickey Mouse Bush)

Don’t be mistaken with this plant… it looks like Mickey Mouse!

  • Ochna serrulata is a hardy shrub that is evergreen and usually grows up to 1 to 2.5 metres (3 to 8 feet) in height, although taller plants have been seen.
  • The words ‘Ochna serrulata’ both refer to the leaves of the plant, and the word ‘Ochna’ is of Greek origin, coming from the word ‘Ochne’ meaning ‘wild pear’, and ‘serrulata’ is of Latin origin, from ‘serrula’ meaning ‘little saw’.
  • Ochna serrulata is native to South Africa, commonly found in forests, but the plant has become a highly invasive weed in some parts of Australia and New Zealand, tolerating sunny or shady areas, and it is difficult to remove and eradicate.
  • Ochna serrulata has a number of common names including ‘mall-leaved plane’; ‘bird’s eye bush’; ‘bird’s eye plant’; ‘carnival bush’; ‘carnival ochna’; ‘Mickey Mouse bush’ and ‘Mickey Mouse plant’.
  • Ochna serrulata is from the family Ochnaceae, the family of wild planes, and are one of the 86 species of Ochna shrubs and trees, and is very similar to the Ochna kirkii species that is also called a ‘Mickey Mouse plant, however kirkii has larger and rounder leaves and larger flowers.

Carnival Ochna, Mickey Mouse Plant, Ten Random Facts, Plant, Fruit, Seeds, red sepal, Australia, Vegetation, Small toothed leaves

  • Ochna serrulata shrubs have small, 2 cm  (0.8 in) yellow coloured flowers that bloom in Spring, that do not last long and attract butterflies and bees.
  • Ochna serrulata plants have sepals at the base of the flowers, that grow larger and turn a stunning red when the plant is developing fruit.
  • The fruit of Ochna serrulata plants is commonly consumed by birds, which spread the seeds of the plant in their droppings.
  • Ochna serrulata have spherical fruit that grow in clusters of five or more on the red sepals, starting green and turning black in colour, and with the red sepals, they bring to mind Walt Disney’s ‘Mickey Mouse’, hence the common name, ‘Mickey Mouse bush’.
  • The fruit of Ochna serrulata has been used in traditional African medicine to treat diseases that attacks one’s bones.
Bibliography:
Ochna Serrulate, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochna_serrulata
Mbambezeli G & Notten A, Ochna serrulate (Hochst.) Walp., 2002, Plantz Africa, http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/ochnaserrulat.htm

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Cyana Meyricki

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Cyana Meyricki

Any more hair and the cyana meyricki caterpillar would be a hairball!

  • A Cyana meyricki is a type of lichen moth from the family Arctiidae, a family of moths that includes lichen moths, tiger moths, wasp moths, and footman moths.
  • Cyana meyricki caterpillars are mostly black and tan in colour and have lots of long hairs, and are believed to eat lichen and algae.
  • Cyana meyricki caterpillars protect themselves during the pupa stage, by using their long hairs, joined together with silk to create a small, mesh-like cage that surrounds the pupa.
  • A Cyana meyricki pupa rests in the cage without touching the sides, suspended by fine threads of silk.
  • A Cyana meyricki moth squeezes out of the springy cage without tearing or breaking it.

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Cyana Meyricki Caterpiller

Cyana Mericki Cacoon, Pupa, Mesh cage, bug, Moth, Ten Random Facts, Australia

Cyana Meyricki Pupa
  • Cyana meyricki moths have a wingspan that is typically 3 to 4 centimetres (1 to 1.5 inches) in length.
  • Cyana meyricki moths are tan and black in colour, and have stripey bodies, with symmetrical large yellow patches or spots on their wings.
  • Cyana meyricki pupae are sometimes destroyed by a tachinid fly (a large fly) inside its cage, as these flies are parasites, laying eggs on the caterpillar, or on the caterpillar’s food so that they are consumed and then cause internal damage to the caterpillar, and then the cage is used by the fly for protection of its own pupa.
  • Cyana meyricki caterpillars and moths are native to Australia, in the states of New South Wales and Queensland.
  • Cyana meyricki moths are one of more than 60 Cyana species, and they have also been called ‘Clerckia meyricki’ and ‘Chionaema meyricci’.
Bibliography:
Cyana Meyricki (Rothschild, 1901), n.d., Atlas of Living Australia, http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:828cb218-e027-4411-a71d-ec6561e3cfa1#
Herbison-Evans D & Crossley S, Cyana Meyricki (Rothschild, 1901), 2013, Caterpillars: Especially Australian Ones, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/arct/meyrick.html

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Mount Roraima

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Mount Roraima

A giant’s table: Mount Roraima.

  • ‘Mount Roraima’ is also known as ‘Monte Roraima’ in Portuguese, and the mountain is also called ‘Tepuy Roraima’ and ‘Cerro Roraima’.
  • Mount Roraima is a table-top plateau located mostly in Venezuela, South America, but it also occupies some of  Brazil and Guyana.
  • Mount Roraima is the highest landform in Guyana, although not the other states.
  • Mount Roraima reaches 2,810 metres (9,219 feet) in height at its peak, with wall like cliffs reaching 400 metres (1,300 feet) in height.
  • Mount Roraima was first documented by the “Old World” (Europe, Africa and Asia) in 1596 by Sir Walter Raleigh who was an explorer from England.
Mount Roraima, Plateau, South America, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Roraima
Image courtesy of Erik Cleves Kristensen/Flickr
  • Mount Roraima is the home of significant wildlife and vegetation, including rare heather plants.
  • The first expedition to climb Mount Roraima was led by the British Everard im Thurn, in 1884, who later become the Governor of Fiji.
  • Mount Roraima is typically reached by hikers via Venezuela, as the Brazilian natives can be hostile, and it would require climbing the large cliffs in Guyana or Brazil.
  • Mount Roraima generally takes a couple of days to reach and a day to climb, and is a popular spot for a camp-out.
  • Mount Roraima is approximately 14 kilometres (9 miles) in length and has a sandstone surface.
Bibliography:
Mount Roraima, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Roraima
Mount Roraima, a Mystified Hiking Experience, 2013, Tourism on the Edge, http://www.tourismontheedge.com/best-of/mount-roraima-a-mystified-hiking-experience.html

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