In grasses, each floret (flower) is enclosed in a pair of papery bracts, while each spikelet (group of florets) has a further pair of bracts at its base called glumes. These bracts are the chaff removed from cereal grain during threshing and winnowing.
A prophyll is a leaf-like structure, such as a bracteole, subtending a single flower or pedicel. The term can also mean the lower bract on a peduncle.
The frequently showy pair of bracts of "Euphorbia" species in subgenus "Lacanthis" are the cyathophylls.
Bracts subtend the cone scales in the seed cones of many conifers, and in some cases, such as "Pseudotsuga", they extend beyond the cone scales.
Bracts that appear in a whorl under an inflorescence are called an involucre. An involucre is a common feature beneath the inflorescences of many Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Dipsacaceae and Polygonaceae. Each flower in an inflorescence may have its own whorl of bracts. Many asteraceous plants have bracts at the base of each inflorescence.
The term involucre is also used for a highly conspicuous bract or bract pair at the base of an inflorescence.
An epicalyx, an additional whorl around the calyx of a single flower, is a modification of bracteoles. In other words, the epicalyx is a "group of bracts resembling a calyx" or "bracteoles forming a whorl outer to the calyx". It is a calyx-like extra whorl of floral appendages. They are present in family "Malvaceae", the "Hibiscus" family. "Fragaria" (strawberries) may or may not have an epicalyx.
A "spathe" is a large bract that forms a sheath to enclose the flower cluster of certain plants such as palms, arums, and dayflowers. In many arums (Araceae family), the spathe is petal-like, attracting pollinators to the flowers arranged on a type of spike called a spadix.
Kyūdō
"Kyūdō" is based on ancient archery ("kyū-jutsu"). Archery in Japanese began in the Jōmon period; and it developed in the samurai or military class. At the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912), the samurai lost their position because the Emperor Meiji replaced the Tokugawa family, the samurai, as a ruler of the nation. Therefore, all martial arts, including kyudo, declined. Before the Meiji Restoration, only the military class was allowed to do "Kyūdō". But after it, ordinally people could also do archery, so it spread outside the military class and it became an amusement. Now, All Japan Kyudo Federation plays a role in the promotion of kyudo as a sport.
There are many styles, but most of kyudo players are learning the technique ruled by All Japan Kyudo Federation ("Shaho-Hassetsu"). In most cases, style means the kind of movement (called "Taihai").
This is a major style and is known as the style of mannar. Most of the kyudo players play based on it.
This style places importance on hitting and power.
This style is derived from Heki style and Ogasawara style.
This style is derived from Heki style.
There are the Eight Stages of Shooting (Shaho-Hassetsu); which is a fundamental movement.
The equipment of "kyūdō" has evolved from ancient times.
is the Japanese term for the bows used in "kyūdō".
"Yumi" is traditionally made of bamboo, wood and leather. But, recently, many "yumi" are made from fiberglass and carbon fiber. They are cheaper than those made of bamboo. Generally, there are two sizes. One is "nami" and the other is "nobi". "Nobi" is longer than "Nami".
is the Japanese term for the arrows of "kyūdō". The arrow's shaft is traditionally made of bamboo. Recently, many shafts are made of aluminum or carbon fibers. The traditional is made with three fins or of eagle or hawk feathers. The modern "ya" may be made with turkey or swan feathers.
People wear special clothes called "Kyūdōgi" when they practice kyudo or play a game.
In a formal place, people wear "Wahuku".
Château de Malmaison
The Château de Malmaison () is a country house (or château) in the city of Rueil-Malmaison about 12 km (7 mi) from Paris.
It was formerly the residence of Joséphine de Beauharnais. With the Tuileries it was the headquarters of the French government from 1800 to 1802.
Joséphine de Beauharnais bought the manor house in April 1797 for herself and her husband, General Napoléon Bonaparte. The future Napoléon I of France was at that time away fighting the Egyptian Campaign. Malmaison was a run-down estate, seven miles (12 km) west of central Paris that encompassed nearly of woods and meadows.
When he came back from Egypt, Bonaparte was angry at Joséphine for buying such an expensive house. She had expected him to bring back a lot of money from the Egyptian campaign. She had paid well over 300,000 francs for the house and it needed extensive renovations. She spent a lot of money fixing it. Malmaison would bring great happiness to the Bonapartes. Joséphine's daughter, Hortense would call it "a delicious spot".
Joséphine worked hard to transform the large estate into "the most beautiful and curious garden in Europe. She wanted it to be a model of good cultivation". She located rare and exotic plants and animals to enhance the gardens. Joséphine wrote: "I wish that Malmaison may soon become the source of riches for all [of France]"...
In 1800, Joséphine built a heated orangery large enough for 300 pineapple plants. Five years later she ordered the building of a greenhouse. It was heated by a dozen coal-burning stoves. From 1803 until her death in 1814 she cultivated nearly 200 new plants in France for the first time.
The property became famous for its rose garden. Empress Joséphine had the Belgian artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759–1840) record her roses (and lilies). Prints of these works sell quite well, even today. She created an extensive collection of rose. She gathered plants from her native Martinique and from other places around the world. She grew some 250 varieties of roses. From the foreword to "Jardin de la Malmaison" (1803):
Birds and animals of all sorts began to fill her garden. They were allowed to roam free among the grounds. At the height of her days at Malmaison, Joséphine had the company of kangaroos, emus, black swans, zebras, sheep, gazelles, ostriches, chamois, a seal, antelopes and llamas to name a few. Some were from the Baudin expedition.
After her divorce from Napoléon, Joséphine received Malmaison in her own right, along with a pension of 5 million francs a year, and remained there until her death in 1814. After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 Napoléon returned to the house before his exile to the island of Saint Helena.
In 1842 Malmaison was purchased by Maria Christina, widow of King Ferdinand VII of Spain; she lived there with her second husband Agustín Fernando Muñoz, 1st Duke of Riánsares. In 1861 Maria Christina sold the property to Napoleon III.
Malmaison has been restored by the French famous architect Pierre Humbert in the early 20th century.
The public can visit the manor house as a Napoleonic "musée national". The museum lies on RN 13 ("route nationale" 13) from Paris and bus 258 from RER A "Grande Arche" station.
Xerochrysum
Xerochrysum (or "Bracteantha") is a type or genus of flowering plants native to Australia. It was defined by Russian botanist Nikolai Tzvelev in 1990. It was identified before (and taking precedence over) "Bracteantha" which was described the following year. A 2002 molecular study of the tribe Gnaphalieae found the genus is likely polyphyletic, with "X. bracteatum" and "X. viscosum" removed from each other.
There are currently 7 recognized species:
The genus was formerly included in "Helichrysum".
Henry Charles Andrews
Henry Cranke Andrews (fl. 1794 - 1830), was an English botanist, and an artist who illustrated plants. As he always published as Henry C. Andrews, and due to difficulty finding records, the C. was referred to as Charles, from 1961 until a record of his marriage registration was found in 2017.