x, y, z

xeric plants

above, rachet fruits are known for a high antioxident content and are used to reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar

while the chandelier plant helps to relieve belly aches and is used as a tea to soothe coughs, colds and flu

The buff tail on the queen is an orangish brown colour, while the males and workers tails are more a pale off white.   They can stay awake during winter and will continue to forage during the warmer days.

 

A double collared sunbird from southern Africa.  He's an energetic little guy with a bright, metallic green head and breast with a narrow metallic blue band separating the larger bright red band from the green breast.

and so we have come to our final alphabet week for Sunday Stamps (for now).   It has been a fun ride with so many interesting, and sometimes truly unique and unexpected selections!

caribbean

Bahamas has only competed in the summer games - this will be their 18th.  All their medals have been in sailing or athletics.  

Jamaica, on the other hand, has competed in both the summer and winter games, with an unlikely, but infamous, bobsleigh team.  All their 88 medals, save one for cycling, were for athletics.  They are killer runners.

Another team that sent athletes to compete with Jamaica in bobsleigh was Trinidad and Tobago.  They are also good runners, having won most of their summer medals in athletics.  Vervine is also known as Verbena in NA and the UK

some of the smaller countries in the western hemisphere

Sunday Stamps - T

1948, Trinidad and Tobago, Silver Wedding

One may wonder what is going through the minds of Queen Elizabeth and King George VI as they posed for this anniversary picture. They seem to have the same expression; perhaps sending telepathic messages to each other...

I cannot find if they ever actually visited Trinidad, though Prince Edward did visit in 1920 as did his father, George V, as a child in 1880. The current Queen Elizabeth visited for the first time in 1966.

for the letter T - Trinidad and Tobago, three cents

Sunday Stamps II - 157

1990, Trinidad & Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago are the most southerly islands in the Caribbean. They became independent nations in 1962 after being ruled by the Spanish and British - and in Tobago's case, also French and Dutch. This stamp, showing the more commonly called bamboo fungus, was issued for the World Stamp Exhibition.

for the letter T - Trinidad and Tobago