THE SHOOT, 87 



a single initial cell. The initial in these cases divides into 

 two equal parts, each of which becomes the initial of a new 

 branch. Ordinarily, however, the terminal bud develops 

 without interruption. In case it is more vigorous than any of 

 the lateral buds, the plant will have a central axis, from the sides 

 of which distinctly smaller branches arise. If, however, the 

 lateral buds are almost or quite as strong as the central one, 

 the plant seems to be broken up into branches, and, after it 

 has attained its mature form, no one can be pointed out as 

 the main axis.* Such branching is monopodial. These two 

 types of monopodial branching and the sympodial type are 

 all illustrated in the forms attained by common forest trees. 

 (See frontispiece.) 



104. Inflorescence. Especially profuse branching com- 

 monly occurs in the parts of the seed plants where flowers are 

 produced. Such clusters of branches bearing flowers constitute 

 an inflorescence. Each sort has received a special name which 

 not only indicates the type of branching, whether sympodial 

 or monopodial, but also the relative length of the branches. 



If the branching is monopodial and each lateral shoot is 

 unbranched, the inflorescence is a raceme. If the lateral 

 shoots are very short, it is a spike. If the main axis also is 

 very short, it is a head. If the main axis is short and the 

 lateral axes long, it is an umbel. If the lateral axes are of 

 unequal length, so as to bring the flowers to about the same 

 level, it is a corymb. If the branching is sympodial, various 

 forms of the cyme result. Several combinations of these 

 inflorescences are possible, f 



105. Axillary buds. --Lateral buds are ordinarily formed 

 in definite relation to the leaves. They stand usually in the 



* The obscurity is greatly increased by the death of more branches than 

 survive, owing to various causes resulting in poor nutrition or disease. 



f For further discussion see Gray: "Structural Botany," p. 144; 

 Goebel : " Outlines of Classification," p. 407. 



