the use of floppy disks has waned, though they are still widely used to keep second (backup) copies of valuable files.
Flora Roman goddess of flowering plants. Her cult was supposedly intro¬ duced into Rome during its earliest years by the Sabine king Titus Tatius. Her temple stood near Rome’s Circus Maximus, and her festival, the Flo- ralia, was instituted in 238 bc.
flora All species of plants that are found in a particular region, period, or special environment. Six floral kingdoms are commonly distinguished: Boreal (Holarctic), Paleotropical, Neotropical, South African (Capensic), Australian, and Antarctic. These kingdoms are further broken down into subkingdoms and regions, over which there is some dispute.
floral decoration Art of arranging living or dried plant material for adornment of the body or home, for public and religious ceremonies, or for festivals. Line, form, colour, texture, balance, porportion, and scale are important aspects of floral arrangement, as is the container. The ear¬ liest pictorial example is a 2nd-century Roman mosaic from the villa of Hadrian at Tivoli depicting a basket of cut flowers. Dutch and French still-life paintings of the 17th—18th centuries show the popularity of flo¬ ral arrangements. Their long history in China and Japan is often associ¬ ated with religious and philosophical beliefs; Japanese forms have become influential in the West. See also ikebana.
Florence Italian Firenze \fe-'rent-sa\ City (pop., 2001 prelim.: 352,227), capital of Tuscany, central Italy. Built on both sides of the Arno River, the city has been during its long history a republic, a seat of the duchy of Tuscany, and a capital (1865-71) of Italy. Founded as a Roman military colony in the 1st century bc, it was controlled in turn by the Goths, Byzantines, and Lombards. A leading city of Tuscany by the late 12th century, it was ruled after 1434 by the powerful Medici family. It became a republic under religious reformer Girolamo Savonarola, after whose downfall the Medici were restored as dukes of Florence (1531). Florence’s vernacular became the Italian language, and from the 14th to the 16th century Florence was among the greatest cities of Europe, preeminent in commerce, finance, learning, and the arts. Many notables flourished there, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Filippo Brunelleschi, Dante, Nic- colo Machiavelli, and Galileo. The buildings, including the Baptistery of St. John, the Gothic Duomo, and the Uffizi Gallery, are works of art them¬ selves abounding in yet more works of art. Among the palaces and parks are the Pitti Palace and its Boboli Gardens. The university was founded in 1321. The economy is based primarily on tourism, though it also has developed newer sectors such as information technology and high-fashion clothing. The region around the city has a modern and dynamic economy based on small industrial production and quality exports.
Florentine canvas work See bargello
Florey, Howard Walter, Baron (b. Sept. 24, 1898, Adelaide, S.Aus., Austl.—d. Feb. 21, 1968, Oxford, Oxfordshire, Eng.) Australian pathologist. Educated in Britain and the U.S., Florey taught at the Uni¬ versity of Oxford from 1935. Investigating tissue inflammation and secre¬ tion of mucous membranes, he succeeded in purifying lysozyme, a bacteria-destroying enzyme found in tears and saliva, and characterized the substances it acted on. He surveyed other naturally occurring anti¬ bacterial substances, concentrating on penicillin, which he, with Ernst Boris Chain, isolated and purified for general clinical use. The two demonstrated penicillin’s curative properties in human studies and developed methods for producing it in quantity. In 1945 he shared a Nobel Prize with Chain and Alexander Fleming, and in 1965 he was created a life peer.
floriculture Branch of ornamental horticulture concerned with growing and marketing flowers and ornamental plants, as well as with flower arrangement. Because flowers and potted plants are largely produced in plant-growing structures in temperate climates, floriculture is largely thought of as a greenhouse industry; however, many flowers are cultivated outdoors. Both the production of bedding plants and the production of cut¬ tings to be grown in greenhouses or for indoor use (foliage plants) are usually considered part of floriculture. See also nursery.
Florida State (pop., 2000: 15,982,378), southeastern U.S. Comprising a peninsula and adjoining mainland areas, it is bordered by Alabama and Georgia, with the Gulf of Mexico lying to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It covers 58,599 sq mi (151,771 sq km); its capital is Talla¬ hassee. Indian groups entered Florida from the north as early as 10,000 years ago. It was explored by Juan Ponce de Leon c. 1513, and in 1565 Spaniards founded St. Augustine. Florida became a British possession in
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1763 after the French and Indian War. The area reverted to Spanish con¬ trol after the American Revolution (1783) but was used by the British as a base of operations during the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson’s capture of Pensacola during the First Seminole War (see Seminole Wars) led to the cession of Florida to the U.S. in 1819. Florida became a state in 1845. It seceded from the Union in 1861, then was readmitted in 1868. In the late 20th century it became one of the fastest growing states in the U.S. It produces about 75% of the nation’s citrus fruits and is second only to California in vegetable production. Tourism is a leading industry, with Disney World a major attraction. Electronics manufacture is important, and the aerospace industry, led by the Kennedy Space Center (see Cape Canaveral), employs many thousands of people. The state, and especially the city of Miami with its large Cuban population, plays a major economic role in the Caribbean region. Among its many recreational areas is Ever¬ glades National Park.
Florida, Straits of Passage connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic Ocean. Extending for about 110 mi (180 km) between the Florida Keys on the north and Cuba and the Bahamas on the south, the straits mark the area where the Florida Current, the initial part of the Gulf Stream, flows east out of the Gulf of Mexico. The Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon first recorded sailing through the straits in 1513.
Florida Controversy, West See West Florida Controversy
flotation or froth flotation Most widely used process for extracting many minerals from their ores. The method separates and concentrates ores by altering their surfaces so that they are either repelled or attracted by water. Unwetted particles, which adhere to air that is bubbled through the water, will float in the froth, while wetted particles will sink. The process was developed on a commercial scale early in the 20th century to remove very fine mineral particles that formerly had gone to waste in gravity con¬ centration plants. With its use to concentrate copper, lead, and zinc min¬ erals, which commonly accompany one another in their ores, many complex ore mixtures formerly of little value have become major sources of certain metals.
flounder Any of about 300 species of flatfishcs (order Pleuronecti- formes). When born, the flounder is bilaterally symmetrical, with an eye on each side, and it swims near the sea’s surface. After a few days, it begins to lean to one side, and the eye on that side migrates to what eventually becomes the top side.