20 December: Pine trees

According to old almanacs, today’s plant is the Stone pine, dedicated to St Philogonius. Ten facts about pine trees:

1. There are more than 120 different species of pine tree. Pines belong to the genus Pinus of the family Pinaceae.

2. They’re mainly native to the Northern hemisphere, although there are a few which grow in the tropics and temperate regions of the southern hemisphere.

3. The modern English name "pine" derives from Latin pinus, which some have traced to the Indo-European word for ‘resin’. Other sources say it means "rock".

4. Some species are relatively small, reaching 3 metres/10 feet in height, while others reach 15–45 m (50–150 ft). The tallest of all pines is pine Lambert, which is native to the USA and Canada. They can reach a height of 70-80 meters.

5. Pines are long lived and typically reach ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin bristlecone pine which is found in the White Mountains of California. One individual of this species, dubbed "Methuselah", is one of the world's oldest living organisms at around 4,800 years old.

6. The leaves are Needle shaped, which is an especially good adaptation for those species which grow in the mountains. This leaf shape allows Snow to slide off so that it doesn’t accumulate and break off branches. The surface of the leaf is coated with cutin, a wax-like substance which prevents Water from evaporating. The waxy coating also keeps the cells of the leaf from freezing during a cold winter. The swamp pine has the longest needles of any pine tree: 40-45 centimeters.

7. Pines propagate through the production of cones. Pines are monoecious, having the male and female cones on the same tree. Wind carries pollen from the male cones to the female cones. When they are fertilized the female cones change colour and harden before bearing seeds.

8. The seeds of many pine species are edible. Pine nuts are the seeds of pine trees and are an essential ingredient of pesto alla genovese. It’s also possible to eat young male cones and the bark of young twigs.

9. Pines have a number of decorative uses in parks and gardens, and if you have a real Christmas Tree, there’s a good chance it’s a pine. Native Americans would make useful items like baskets, trays and pots from pine needles, and they’ve also been used to make biodegradable paper and fabrics.

10. The pine is a common motif in Chinese art and literature, its attributes being longevity and steadfastness. One of the main ingredients for Chinese ink has been pine soot.

Character birthday

Mask, the enigmatic martial artist in Combat Team Omega. She is in a relationship with her team mate, Cape, their healer. They met in therapy as children and would use their powers for cruel fun. Mask would cause pain and damage; Cape would heal the victim so they could do it all again. Mask never reveals her face in public and many believe this is because she suffered an accident resulting in extensive scarring to her face.