Poaceae with silica phytoliths, which discourage grazing animals; some, such as sword grass, are sharp enough to cut human skin. A membranous appendage or fringe of hairs called the ligule lies at the junction between sheath and blade, preventing water or insects from penetrating into the sheath. Flowers of Poaceae are characteristically arranged in spikelets, each having one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. The part of the spikelet that bears the florets is called the rachilla. A spikelet consists of two (or sometimes fewer) bracts at the base, called glumes, followed by one or
Portrait of a Lady Known as Smeralda Brandini clients for many years, is likely that Cartwright has confused Viviano with his son Michelangelo (Michele) because in 1475, the year of the tournament of La Giostra to which she refers, Michele was only 18 years old and his father was much better known. Art historians note new features in the composition: "earlier Florentine portraits were in profile. The woman's three-quarter pose, with her hand on the window frame, was Botticelli's own invention". The portrait is thought to be the first example of a three-quarters pose in Florentine portrait painting. "By abandoning the profile pose traditionally used in depictions of