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I am irrationally angry that they chose a palm tree as the icon to represent the Mediterranean climate region on the map, when it is absolutely not characterist
by Mordisquitos 6y ago
I am irrationally angry that they chose a palm tree as the icon to represent the Mediterranean climate region on the map, when it is absolutely not characteristic to this climate. A much better option would have been an olive or an evergreen oak (Quercus ilex): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_ilex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_ilex
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- pjmlp 6y agoThere are plenty of palm trees in the iberian penisula. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardim_do_Rossio#/media/Ficheiro:Jardim_do_Rossio_-_panoramio.jpg https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardim_do_Rossio#/media/Fichei... https://olhares.com/largo-das-palmeiras-foto3262.html https://olhares.com/largo-das-palmeiras-foto3262.html https://www.pxfuel.com/pt/free-photo-eiuzw https://www.pxfuel.com/pt/free-photo-eiuzw
- Flip-per 6y agoSure, none of them native though.
- pjmlp 6y agoWell, tomatos, potatos and chilli are also not native to Europe, maybe we should remove them from our gastronomy.
- antasvara 6y agoI think the point is that they should choose a tree that's representative of the native habitat.
- pjmlp 6y agoWhich is my point as well, from which century are we counting as being the native habitat?
- fermienrico 6y agoLet's put it this way. Just because we have zoos doesn't make those animals native. There is probably some threshold of self sustainance and propagation in the region to call it native, after many centuries I would presume. More to read here :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_species https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_species
- wing-_-nuts 6y agoAre you suggesting coconuts migrate?!
- vram22 6y agoThe GP may or not be suggesting that, but coconuts do migrate. Their physical structure enables that: a sealed capsule that can float, with rich nutrient density inside, and airtight, so due to all that, stays viable while it is carried across oceans from one country to another. And germinates and grows at the destination. Read something to that effect somewhere, maybe in Wikipedia or similar. Winds and tides and ocean currents and waves do the rest.
- wing-_-nuts 6y agoThe plants that developed seed dispersal in micronesia are fascinating. It's a tough evolutionary nut to crack. Honestly though, I was making a holy grail joke ;^)
- vram22 6y agoAll of nature and natural mechanisms are fascinating. So much of math and science and beauty in it, as scientists and the lay public keep discovering. Just today, sitting at a cafe outside a town, I saw something new to me: a small frog, just about one inch in length, sitting vertically on the low side wall of the cafe. I think it was actually climbing up the wall. At first I thought it was a large insect. Then went closer and saw it was a frog. Took a photo of it. Edit: If I can, I will post a link to that photo here. (Have some constraints for that at present.) I didn't get the holy grail joke. Googling seems to show it is related to Monty Python shows, which I do not watch, Guido knows why :)
- pvaldes 6y agoSome of they definitely are. One of the most famous, Phoenix canariensis is endemic from Spanish Islands. The Mediterranean has also several native palms, and even ecosystems when palms are one of the dominant species. Chamaerops humilis, the palmito, is a small palm. Is a 100% legit European palm (and a fairly decent vegetable also that could fit perfectly in this list).
- adwn 6y ago> A much better option would have been an olive [...] Ironically, olives seem to be missing from Spain's and Greece's list of fruits.
- tomcooks 6y agoThere are plenty palm trees near the Alps, so I wouldn't be angry if I were you. But indeed I would have picked an oak or olive, it's culturally and historically more appropriate.
- nspattak 6y agoI also come from the south of the mediteranean (probably more south than you :) ) and I couldn't care less :) And yes, we do produce tons of olive oil that the Italians or Spanish buy and sell as their own oil. The truth is that it can get quite hot from this side of europe :)
- PedroBatista 6y agoFor many northern Europeans, Southern Europe is pretty much the same as Africa. With all the same prejudice included. It is what it is.
- arijo 6y agoI'm Portuguese (Southern European) and cannot possibly understand this comment .. What do you care what others think? What matters is that (at least my country) has reached a level of cultural and technological development that cannot be compared to what it was 20-30 years ago. And I don't think the well educated younger generations share your silly inferiority complex too ..
- simongray 6y agoAs a Northern European, it's such a shame to see this attitude spread in Southern Europe. You see it a lot on /r/europe these days, this idea that people in Northern Europe are biased against people from the South.
- lucian1900 6y agoUs Southern and Eastern Europeans constantly experience prejudice from Northern and Western Europeans. It’s especially noticeable if you’re an immigrant. It’s not an attitude, merely an observation.
- desktopninja 6y agoTribalism: https://youtu.be/7y-b7f6CK2M https://youtu.be/7y-b7f6CK2M North Tribe vs South Tribe White vs Black Democratic vs Republicans etc :)
- pvaldes 6y agoWe definitely have an African component in our flora, yes. This makes our ecosystems (and our kitchen) special and our nature much more interesting with lots of African endemisms. Spain is (probably [1]) the European country with a higher biodiversity. Italy comes close in that rank also. [1] excluding Russia, that is a special case (being Asian and European at the same time).
- FalconSensei 6y agoJust out of curiosity, where are you from?