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Today's featured article Dendrocollybia is a genus of fungus in the family Tricholomataceae of the order Agaricales. It consists of the single species Dendrocollybia racemosa, a somewhat rare fungus found in the Northern Hemisphere, including the Pacific Northwest region of western North America, and Europe. It usually grows on the decaying fruit bodies of other agarics—such as Lactarius and Russula—although the host mushrooms may be decayed to the point of being difficult to recognize. Dendrocollybia racemosa fruit bodies have small pale grayish-white or grayish-brown caps and thin stems. The species is characterized by its unusual stem, which is covered with short lateral branches. The branches often produce spherical slimeheads of translucent conidiophores on their swollen tips. The conidiophores produce conidia (asexual spores) by mitosis. Because the fungus can rely on either sexual or asexual modes of reproduction, fruit bodies sometimes have reduced or even missing caps. The unusual stems originate from black pea-sized structures called sclerotia. It is able to reproduce at relatively low temperatures, an adaptation believed to improve its ability to grow quickly and fruit on decomposing mushrooms. (more...) Recently featured: Killer7 – Calgary Stampede – Hygeberht Did you know... From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that Black Sandy State Park on Hauser Lake (pictured) was originally a recreation area operated by the Montana Power Company? ... that the regal sea fan takes part in mass spawning events which may be triggered by the full moon? ... that The Mountain Road was the only war movie that Jimmy Stewart ever starred in? ... that the title of Canadian artist Cœur de pirate's 2011 album Blonde is a double entendre which refers to both the singer's blonde hair and the Quebec French slang word for "girlfriend"? ... that Japanese anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii published 172 medical research papers that reported falsified data, including 126 papers described as being "totally fabricated"? ... that the Maya city of Kinal in northern Guatemala possessed an unusually complex acropolis but is noted for its complete absence of sculpted stelae and altars? ... that the biggest aircraft ever to be flown under the Sydney Harbour Bridge was a Lancaster bomber piloted by Flight Lieutenant Peter Isaacson in 1943?

In the news The Shard (pictured) in London is inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 metres (1,020 ft). In association football, the Copa Libertadores concludes with Corinthians defeating Boca Juniors in the Finals. CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. GlaxoSmithKline pleads guilty to criminal charges of health care fraud and is fined a record US$3 billion. In association football, UEFA Euro 2012 concludes with Spain defeating Italy in the final to win a second consecutive European Football Championship. An intense derecho strikes the eastern United States, leaving at least 22 people dead and millions without power. On this day... July 8: Seventeenth of Tammuz (Judaism, 2012); National Day of Commemoration in Ireland (2012) 1579 – Our Lady of Kazan, a holy icon of the Russian Orthodox Church, was discovered underground in Kazan, present-day Tatarstan, Russia. 1758 – French and Indian War: French forces defeated the British at Fort Carillon on the shore of Lake Champlain in the British Colony of New York. 1808 – Joseph Bonaparte approved the Bayonne Statute, a royal charter intended as the basis for his rule as King of Spain. 1994 – Upon the death of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il (pictured) became the Supreme Leader of North Korea. 2004 – After a 19-month trial, U.S. Marine Corps Major Michael Brown was convicted by a court in Naha, Okinawa, for an attempted indecent assault on a Filipina bartender. 2011 – Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched in STS-135, the final mission of the U.S. Space Shuttle program. More anniversaries: July 7 – July 8 – July 9 It is now July 8, 2012 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture Hera is an Icelandic singer-songwriter who emigrated to New Zealand as a teenager. She is known for her facial art, which is "inspired by moko and also by Celtic warrior paint" and intended to represent both her Icelandic and New Zealand heritage. In 2002 she was named Best Female Singer at the Icelandic Music Awards. Photo: Kyle Cassidy Recently featured: West Indian Sea Egg – Pulmonata – Incahuasi Island, Bolivia

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