Tilman Riemenschneider: His major work, the Altar of the Virgin (c. 1505–10) in Herrgotts Church at Creglingen, is a wood altar, 32 feet (10 metres) high, depicting the life of Mary. Riemenschneider employed numerous assistants on the massive monument, but he executed the dominant life-size figures himself. Other major works are…

Sonoran Desert, arid region covering 120,000 square miles (310,800 square km) in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, U.S., and including much of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, part of Baja California state, and the western half of the state of Sonora. Subdivisions of the

Altare glass, type of Italian glassware produced in the town of Altare, near Genoa. The Altare glass industry was established in the 11th century by glassmakers from Normandy and developed independently of the much better known glassworks of Venice. During the 15th century the great demand for

altarpiece, work of art that decorates the space above and behind the altar in a Christian church. Painting, relief, and sculpture in the round have all been used in altarpieces, either alone or in combination. These artworks usually depict holy personages, saints, and biblical subjects. Several

Michael Pacher: In the “Altarpiece of the Church Fathers” (c. 1483; Alte Pinakothek, Munich), Pacher uses direct and reflected light to create a convincing spatial ambience within a shallow depth. His narrow niches are dominated by the four monumental figures of the Fathers of the Church. The back of…

Drogo de Hauteville was a Norman count of Apulia (1046–51), half brother of the conqueror Robert Guiscard. He led the Norman conquest of southern Italy after the death of his older brother William Iron Arm, whom he succeeded as count of Apulia. Arriving in Italy about 1035 with William and his

Drogo de Hauteville was a Norman count of Apulia (1046–51), half brother of the conqueror Robert Guiscard. He led the Norman conquest of southern Italy after the death of his older brother William Iron Arm, whom he succeeded as count of Apulia. Arriving in Italy about 1035 with William and his

William de Hauteville was a Norman adventurer, the eldest of 12 Hauteville brothers, a soldier of fortune who led the first contingent of his family from Normandy to southern Italy. He undertook its conquest and quickly became count of Apulia. William and his brothers Drogo and Humphrey responded

House of Hauteville, line of Norman lords and knights who were founders of fiefdoms and kingdoms in southern Italy and Sicily in the 11th and 12th centuries. The wars fought by members of the Hauteville family contributed to a steady reduction of Muslim and Byzantine power in the region. In their

Robert was a Norman adventurer who settled in Apulia, in southern Italy, about 1047 and became duke of Apulia (1059). He eventually extended Norman rule over Naples, Calabria, and Sicily and laid the foundations of the kingdom of Sicily. Robert was born into a family of knights. Arriving in Apulia,

Humphrey De Hauteville was a soldier of fortune who led the Norman conquest of southern Italy after the deaths of his older brothers William and Drogo and succeeded them as count of Apulia (1051). Arriving in Italy c. 1035, Humphrey fought in Sicily and Apulia, in southern Italy, becoming count of

Altai Mountains, complex mountain system of Central Asia extending approximately 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in a southeast-northwest direction from the Gobi (Desert) to the West Siberian Plain, through China, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The jagged mountain ridges derive their name from the

Altay, republic, southern Russia, in the Altai Mountains. It s bounded on the south by Mongolia and China. It embraces a complex series of ranges and high plateaus, divided by deep valleys and broad basins, that attain a maximum height of 14,783 feet (4,506 metres) in Mount Belukha. Steppe

Altaic languages: The origins of Altaic languages: In historical times the Altaic peoples were concentrated on the steppe lands of Central Asia, and it is believed that the Altaic protolanguage originated on the steppes in or near the region of the Altai Mountains. Furthermore, it is assumed that the Turks have always inhabited the western, the…

Altay, kray (region), southwestern Siberia, Russia. Altay kray lies in the basin of the upper Ob River and its headstreams, the Biya and Katun. The kray borders Kazakhstan in the southwest. Once part of the khanate of Dzungaria, the kray was colonized by the Russians from the 18th century. It

Altaisky Nature Reserve, natural area set aside for research in the natural sciences, in the northeastern Altai Mountains near Lake Teletsky, in south-central Russia. The reserve, established in 1932, has an area of 34,025 square miles (88,124 square km). Its physiographic features include high

Altai Mountains, complex mountain system of Central Asia extending approximately 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in a southeast-northwest direction from the Gobi (Desert) to the West Siberian Plain, through China, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The jagged mountain ridges derive their name from the

astronomical map: The horizon system: The simple altazimuth system, which depends on a particular place, specifies positions by altitude (the angular elevation from the horizon plane) and azimuth (the angle clockwise around the horizon, usually starting from the north). Lines of equal altitude around the sky are called…

Dissecting “crypto-speak.”If you’re new to cryptocurrency and find “crypto-speak” a bit dizzying, it’s probably because both the technology and terms are still evolving, and definitions tend to morph over time. Even those who speak crypto may be unwittingly conflating terms because there aren’t

Altdorf, capital of Uri canton, central Switzerland. It lies near the confluence of the Reuss River and the Schächen torrent, southeast of Lucerne. In the centre of the town a bronze statue of William Tell (1895) marks the place at which, according to tradition, he shot, with his crossbow, an apple

Albrecht Altdorfer was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who was one of the founders of landscape painting. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and in later years serving as official architect of the city and a member of its inner council. He was the

Max Kretzer: …as a sign writer and Der alte Andreas (1911; “Old Andrew”) records his work in a lamp factory. In other novels he treats pressing social problems of the day: prostitution in Die Betrogenen (1882; “The Deceived”); the fate of the urban workers in Die Verkommenen (1883; “The Depraved”); and the…

Old National Gallery, art museum in Berlin, Germany, noted for its collection of 19th-century European painting and sculpture. (Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art appreciation.) The Old National Gallery is one of the museums that make up the world famous National Museums of Berlin, and,

Alte Pinakothek, fine art museum in Munich noted for its collection of paintings by 14th- to 18th-century European masters. It is one of several institutions that constitute the Bavarian State Picture Galleries (Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen). (Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art

Eduard Friedrich Mörike: …remote Württemberg village immortalized in Der alte Turmhahn, where inhabitants and pastor are seen through the whimsical but percipient eyes of an old weathercock. All his life Mörike suffered from psychosomatic illnesses, which were possibly intensified by an unconscious conflict between his humanist aspirations and his church dogmas. When only…

David Friedrich Strauss: …und der neue Glaube (1872; The Old Faith and the New), in which he ventured to replace Christianity with scientific materialism, a personalized form of Darwinism. Criticized for an inadequate understanding of the biblical and theological texts he criticized, Strauss nevertheless not only influenced 20th-century liberal and eschatological schools of…

Wilmington, largest city in Delaware, U.S., and seat of New Castle county at the influx of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek into the Delaware River. It is the state’s industrial, financial, and commercial centre and main port. The oldest permanent European settlement in the Delaware River

Altenburg, city, Thuringia Land (state), central Germany. It lies along the Pleisse River, at the southern edge of the central German brown-coal deposits, south of Leipzig. First mentioned in 976 as the site of a watchtower near an old Slav fortress, it was a trading centre and royal residence in

Celle, city, Lower Saxony Land (state), north-central Germany, on the Aller River, at the southern edge of the Lüneburger Heide (Heath), northeast of Hannover. The old town, Altencelle, was founded about 1248, and Celle (founded 1292) was the residence (1371–1705) of the dukes of

thermoelectric power generator: By 1910 Edmund Altenkirch, a German scientist, satisfactorily calculated the potential efficiency of thermoelectric generators and delineated the parameters of the materials needed to build practical devices. Unfortunately, metallic conductors were the only materials available at the time, rendering it unfeasible to build thermoelectric generators with an…

history of Latin America: Postconquest indigenous society: The local state, the altepetl, with its rotating constituent parts, remained viable as a functioning autonomous unit and as bearer of all major Spanish structural innovations, not only the encomienda but also the parish and the indigenous municipality. The Nahuas accepted Christianity and built large churches for themselves, but…

myth: The alter ego, or life index: Other religious and folkloric traditions view the life of the human individual as bound up with that of a plant or animal: if one is destroyed the other dies as well. In some traditions, this is confined to the familiar…

Harvey J. Alter is an American physician and virologist known for his discoveries pertaining to viruses that cause hepatitis, particularly his contributions to the discovery and isolation of hepatitis C virus (HCV). His research laid the basis for the development of blood donor screening programs

pseudomorph: formed by substitution, deposition, or alteration. In the formation of a pseudomorph by substitution, the original substance has been gradually removed and simultaneously replaced by another. A common example of this is petrified wood, in which all the cellulose fibres have been replaced by silica, even those in the bark.…

Ken Russell: …later films include Lisztomania (1975), Altered States (1980), Crimes of Passion (1984), Whore (1991), and the musical horror-comedy The Fall of the Louse of Usher (2002).

Amaranthaceae: Major genera and species: >Alternanthera and Iresine each have several species that are cultivated as bedding plants for their attractive and colourful leaves.

Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae: Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) was introduced into North America as a cultivated ornamental, but its rapid growth habit in watery environments has often caused it to be considered a weed. Globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa) is from tropical Asia, Australia, and America. It is unusual in…

human ear: Audiometry: …can be measured by the alternate binaural loudness balance test. The subject is asked to set the controls so that the loudness of the tone heard in the defective ear matches that of the tone heard in the normal ear. By repeating the comparison at several intensity levels, the presence…

science fiction: Alternate histories and parallel universes: …category to parallel worlds and alternate histories. Those concepts no longer seem abstract and improbable, but they have become part of the heritage of science fiction.

angiosperm: Leaves: In alternate-leaved plants, the leaves are single at each node and borne along the stem alternately in an ascending spiral. In opposite-leaved plants, the leaves are paired at a node and borne opposite to each other. A plant has whorled leaves when there are three or…

free will and moral responsibility: Contemporary compatibilism: In an influential paper, “Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility” (1969), the American philosopher Harry Frankfurt questioned whether the ability to do otherwise is truly necessary for freedom. Suppose that John is on his way to a voting booth and is undecided about whether to vote for candidate A or…

alternating current, flow of electric charge that periodically reverses. It starts, say, from zero, grows to a maximum, decreases to zero, reverses, reaches a maximum in the opposite direction, returns again to the original value, and repeats this cycle indefinitely. The interval of time between

particle accelerator: Accelerating particles: …accelerate particles by using the alternating electric fields present in electromagnetic waves, typically at frequencies from 100 to 3,000 MHz—that is, ranging from radiowaves to microwaves.

dissociative identity disorder, mental disorder in which two or more independent and distinct personality systems develop in the same individual. Each of these personalities may alternately inhabit the person’s conscious awareness to the exclusion of the others. In some cases all of the

electricity: Alternating-current circuits: Certain circuits include sources of alternating electromotive forces of the sinusoidal form V = V0 cos(ωt) or V = V0 sin(ωt). The sine and cosine functions have values that vary between +1 and −1; either of the equations for the voltage represents a…

electric motor: Alternating-current commutator motors: A specially designed series-commutator motor may be operated from a single-phase alternating voltage supply. When the supply current reverses, both the magnetic field and the armature current are reversed. Thus, the torque remains in the same direction. These motors are often called…

alternator, Source of direct electric current in modern vehicles for ignition, lights, fans, and other uses. The electric power is generated by an alternator mechanically coupled to the engine, with a rotor field coil supplied with current through slip rings, and a stator with a three-phase

locomotive: Types of traction systems: The potential advantages of using alternating instead of direct current prompted early experiments and applications of this system. With alternating current, especially with relatively high overhead-wire voltages (10,000 volts or above), fewer substations are required, and the lighter overhead current supply wire that can be used correspondingly reduces the weight…

transformer, device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to one or more other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping down) the voltage. Transformers are employed for widely varying purposes; e.g., to reduce the voltage of conventional power

ship: Electric drive and integrated machinery plants: Alternating-current transmission with synchronous propulsion motors also is used, usually in high-powered propulsion plants because it avoids the commutation problems that handicap high-power direct-current machinery. Exact electrical synchronization of motor speed with generator speed is required, but the mechanical speeds need not be the same.…

particle accelerator: Electron synchrotrons: Strong focusing was first applied to the electron synchrotron in the 1.2-GeV device built in 1954 at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. All large electron synchrotrons now are equipped with linear accelerators as injectors. The practical limit on the energy of an electron synchrotron is…

history of logic: The Megarians and the Stoics: They also knew “inclusive” disjunction (defined as true when at least one disjunct is true), but this was not widely used. More important, the Stoics seem to have been the first to show how some of these truth-functional words may be defined in terms of others.

alternation of generations, in biology, the alternation of a sexual phase and an asexual phase in the life cycle of an organism. The two phases, or generations, are often morphologically, and sometimes chromosomally, distinct. In algae, fungi, and plants, alternation of generations is common. It is

Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), regional bloc, organized in 2004, that aims for social, political, and economic integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. ALBA, which means “dawn” in Spanish, was conceived by Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chávez and was created by Venezuela

alternative rock, pop music style, built on distorted guitars and rooted in generational discontent, that dominated and changed rock between 1991 and 1996. It burst into the mainstream when “Smells Like Teen Spirit”—the first major-label single from Nirvana, a trio based in Seattle, Washington,

the Jayhawks: …would become characterized as the Americana genre (which borrowed from the blues, folk, bluegrass, and rock and roll as well as country). The album, another triumph with the critics, featured the hit “Blue,” along with the memorable “Nothing Left to Borrow,” “I’d Run Away,” and “Miss Williams’ Guitar.” The last…

alternative education, education that diverges in some way from that offered by conventional schools. Examples may be found in publicly funded schools, private schools, and homeschooling curricula. The focus might be on alternative structures (e.g., open classrooms), alternative subject matter

renewable energy, usable energy derived from replenishable sources such as the Sun (solar energy), wind (wind power), rivers (hydroelectric power), hot springs (geothermal energy), tides (tidal power), and biomass (biofuels). At the beginning of the 21st century, about 80 percent of the world’s

fascism: Later developments: …in 2017, the far-right party Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland; AfD), which had adopted an overtly anti-Islamic platform, won nearly 13 percent of the presidential vote in national elections, and by the following year it was the second most popular political party in Germany, after the Christian Democrats.

fascism: Later developments: …in 2017, the far-right party Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland; AfD), which had adopted an overtly anti-Islamic platform, won nearly 13 percent of the presidential vote in national elections, and by the following year it was the second most popular political party in Germany, after the Christian Democrats.

science fiction: Alternate histories and parallel universes: …category to parallel worlds and alternate histories. Those concepts no longer seem abstract and improbable, but they have become part of the heritage of science fiction.

statistics: Hypothesis testing: An alternative hypothesis (denoted Ha), which is the opposite of what is stated in the null hypothesis, is then defined. The hypothesis-testing procedure involves using sample data to determine whether or not H0 can be rejected. If H0 is rejected, the statistical conclusion is that the…

What are alternative investments?Alternative investments (“alts”) refer to investable assets that don’t fit within the conventional, “traditional” categories of stocks, bonds, and cash. Alternative investments is a generalized term that bundles together a diverse array of specialized, niche, or

Tax Reform Act of 1986: The TRA strengthened the “alternative minimum tax” provisions of the income tax code for individuals, which were first created in 1978. (The alternative minimum tax is the least that an individual or corporation must pay after all eligible exclusions, credits, and deductions have been taken.) The corporate tax rate…

A high income may require alternative tax calculations.Have you heard of alternative minimum tax (AMT)? You may have seen a reference to it on your Form 1040. But do we all have to calculate it and pay it, or is it only for “rich people”? What’s the purpose of the AMT? How much money do you have to

subprime lending: Two years later the Alternative Mortgage Transaction Parity Act (AMTPA) lifted restrictions on the use of variable interest rates and balloon payments. Although those two laws opened the door for the development of a subprime lending market, what made subprime lending viable on a large scale was the Tax…

complement: …the lectin pathway, and the alternative pathway (or properdin system). A different type of signal activates each pathway. The classical pathway is triggered by groups of antibodies bound to the surfaces of a microorganism, while the lectin pathway is spurred into action by mannan-binding lectin, a constituent of serum that…

alt-right, far-right white supremacist political and social movement active in the United States in the 2010s. The alt-right was a loose association of relatively young white nationalists, extreme libertarians, and neo-Nazis. Mostly active online, members employed websites and social media to

alternative rock, pop music style, built on distorted guitars and rooted in generational discontent, that dominated and changed rock between 1991 and 1996. It burst into the mainstream when “Smells Like Teen Spirit”—the first major-label single from Nirvana, a trio based in Seattle, Washington,

alternative education, education that diverges in some way from that offered by conventional schools. Examples may be found in publicly funded schools, private schools, and homeschooling curricula. The focus might be on alternative structures (e.g., open classrooms), alternative subject matter

extreme sports, sporting events or pursuits characterized by high speeds and high risk. The sports most commonly placed in this group are skateboarding, snowboarding, freestyle skiing, in-line roller-skating, street lugeing, and BMX and mountain biking. Typically, extreme sports operate outside

green chemistry: …Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Alternative Synthetic Pathways for Pollution Prevention research program under the auspices of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. This program marked a radical departure from previous EPA initiatives in emphasizing the reduction or elimination of the production of hazardous substances, as opposed to managing these…

Western theatre: Alternative theatre: …in Edinburgh, a profusion of “fringe” theatres sprang up in converted cellars, warehouses, and the back rooms of pubs. Rock music, Dada, and Antonin Artaud were inspiration for groups such as the People Show, Pip Simmons Theatre Group, and Ken Campbell’s Road Show. Other companies—Foco Novo, Portable Theatre, 7:84, Belt…

alternative vote (AV), method of election in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If any single candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes, that candidate is deemed elected. If no candidate clears this hurdle, the last-place candidate is eliminated and that candidate’s

automobile: Alternative-fuel vehicles: After World War II the diesel engine, particularly for light trucks and taxis, became popular in Europe because of its superior fuel economy and various tax incentives. During the 1970s General Motors converted some gasoline passenger-car engines to the more economical compression-ignition

alternator, Source of direct electric current in modern vehicles for ignition, lights, fans, and other uses. The electric power is generated by an alternator mechanically coupled to the engine, with a rotor field coil supplied with current through slip rings, and a stator with a three-phase

classical scholarship: …Germans evolved the concept of Altertumswissenschaft (“science of antiquity”) to emphasize the unity of the various disciplines of which the study of the ancient world consists. Broadly speaking, the province of classical scholarship is in time the period between the 2nd millennium bc and ad 500 and in space the…

Western architecture: Germany: …major work in Berlin, the Old (Altes) Museum (1823–33), is important as an early example of a national museum built in order to educate the public. With its long but undemonstrative Ionic colonnade, it is comparable to Smirke’s contemporary British Museum. Indeed, in 1826 Schinkel made an important tour of…

John Peter Altgeld was a reformist Democratic governor of Illinois (1893–97) known principally for his pardon (June 26, 1893) of German-American anarchists involved in the Haymarket Riot, a labor protest in which seven Chicago policemen were killed at Haymarket Square on May 4, 1886. Altgeld’s

marsh mallow, (Althaea officinalis), perennial herbaceous plant of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae), native to eastern Europe and northern Africa. It has also become established in North America. The plant is usually found in marshy areas, chiefly near the sea. It has strongly veined

hollyhock, (Alcea rosea), herbaceous flowering plant of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae) native to China but widely cultivated for its handsome flowers. The several varieties include annual, biennial, and perennial forms. The plant grows almost absolutely straight for about 1.5–2.7

rose of Sharon, (Hibiscus syriacus, or Althaea syriaca), shrub or small tree, in the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae), native to eastern Asia but widely planted as an ornamental for its showy flowers. It can attain a height of 3 metres (10 feet) and generally assumes a low-branching

Johannes Althusius was a German political theorist who was the intellectual father of modern federalism and an advocate of popular sovereignty. After philosophic and legal studies in Switzerland, Althusius was a professor at the University of Herborn in Nassau until 1604, when he became syndic of

Althiburos, ancient city of Numidia in North Africa, on the road constructed by the Roman emperor Hadrian in 123 ce, between Carthage and Theveste (Tébessa) in what is now Tunisia and Algeria, respectively. The town, originally an indigenous settlement, obtained municipal rights from Hadrian.

Althing, unicameral legislature of Iceland. Founded at Thingvellir in southwestern Iceland c. 930, the Althing is one of the oldest national parliaments in the world. While things, representative assemblies of freemen, were widespread throughout medieval Scandinavia, the Althing represented the

Althing, unicameral legislature of Iceland. Founded at Thingvellir in southwestern Iceland c. 930, the Althing is one of the oldest national parliaments in the world. While things, representative assemblies of freemen, were widespread throughout medieval Scandinavia, the Althing represented the

tenor horn, brass wind instrument derived from the cornet and the valved bugle, or flügelhorn. A saxhorn of tenor range and a tenor bugle are also sometimes called tenor horns. The tenor horn was used in Prussian cavalry bands by 1829. It has three valves, a cup mouthpiece, and a narrow bore and

John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer was a statesman, leader of the British House of Commons and chancellor of the Exchequer from 1830 to 1834. He greatly aided Lord John Russell (afterward 1st Earl Russell), chief author of the Reform Bill of 1832, in securing its passage in the Commons.

Johannes Althusius was a German political theorist who was the intellectual father of modern federalism and an advocate of popular sovereignty. After philosophic and legal studies in Switzerland, Althusius was a professor at the University of Herborn in Nassau until 1604, when he became syndic of

Louis Althusser was a French philosopher who attained international renown in the 1960s for his attempt to fuse Marxism and structuralism. Inducted into the French army in 1939, Althusser was captured by German troops in 1940 and spent the remainder of the war in a German prisoner of war camp. In

flea beetle: The grape flea beetle (Altica chalybea), 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.2 inch) long and dark steel-blue in colour, eats grape buds in early spring; both the adults and larvae feed on grape leaves in the summer. They can be controlled by spraying an arsenical…

Altichiero was an early Renaissance painter who was the effective founder of the Veronese school and perhaps the most significant northern Italian artist of the 14th century. Altichiero began his career in Verona, where he remained for a number of years, although nothing is known of his work from

flea beetle, any member of the insect subfamily Alticinae (Halticinae) belonging to the leaf beetle family Chrysomelidae (order Coleoptera). These tiny beetles, worldwide in distribution, are usually less than 6 mm (0.25 inch) in length and dark or metallic in colour. The enlarged hindlegs are

Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Later years of Gian Lorenzo Bernini: …late work is the simple Altieri Chapel in San Francesco a Ripa (c. 1674) in Rome. The relatively deep space above the altar reveals a statue representing the death of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni. Bernini consciously separated architecture, sculpture, and painting for different roles, reversing the process that culminated in…

Clement X was the pope from 1670 to 1676. Of noble birth, Altieri was in the service of the papal embassy in Poland from 1623 to 1627, when he returned to Italy to become bishop of Camerino. Until his appointment as cardinal by Pope Clement IX in 1669, he held numerous church offices, including

altimeter, instrument that measures the altitude of the land surface or any object such as an airplane. The two main types are the pressure altimeter, or aneroid barometer, which approximates altitude above sea level by measuring atmospheric pressure, and the radio altimeter, which measures

sweet gum: …been ascribed to the genus Altingia, and the group was formerly placed in the family Hamamelidaceae.

sweet gum: The American sweet gum, or bilsted (Liquidambar styraciflua), which sometimes reaches 45 metres (150 feet) in moist lowlands but is usually half that height at maturity, is grown for its handsome foliage, shade, and scarlet autumnal colour. It is also valued for its heartwood, called red…

Saxifragales: Major families: Altingiaceae, the sweet gum family, consists of the genus Liquidambar with 15 species of trees. One species is native to eastern North America and Central America, and the rest are found throughout Eurasia. The family is characterized by palmately lobed leaves with petiolar stipules and…

Altiplano, region of southeastern Peru and western Bolivia. The Altiplano originates northwest of Lake Titicaca in southern Peru and extends about 600 miles (965 km) southeast to the southwestern corner of Bolivia. It is a series of intermontane basins lying at about 12,000 feet (3,650 metres)