ANTIDROMY: ANTHOTAXY, 



97 



peduncle is continued above its first point 

 of branching, in the form of a central 

 support along which the succeeding 

 branches are arranged, this portion is 

 called the Rhachis (Figs. 4S0b and 492a). 

 A peduncle which rises directly from or 

 near the ground is called a Scape (Fig. 

 485a). The stem of one of the individual 

 flowers of an inflorescence of more than 

 one flower is called a Pedicel (Figs. 490 

 and 494c). A flower or an inflorescence 

 may be devoid of pedicel or peduncle, 

 when it is Sessile. The arrangement of 

 flowers la called their Anthotaxy, and 

 this name is also applied to the study of 

 infloresences. 



The arrangement of the inflorescence- 

 leaves and their floral branches, while 



FiCT. H9i 



based upon the phyllotaxy, and traceable 

 thereto in. most cases, exhibits more or 

 less real or apparent departure therefrom, 



and calls for special designations and 

 classification. The forms are divided 

 into two series in accordance with the 

 apical or lateral location of the initial 

 flower— that is, the flower which is first 

 in order of development If the terminal 

 bud develop into a flower (Fig. 485) its 

 further extension is impossible, except 

 by the rare and abnormal process of Pro- 

 liferation. Inflorescences so limited are 

 therefore called Determinate or Definite. 

 Although vertical extension of the orig- 

 inal stem of a determinate inflorescence 

 is not possible, it can apparently take 

 place through the branches, the same »» 

 in other sympodia. The effects of such 

 development are the same as in other 

 forms of sympodial growth in which 

 there is a transformation of the apex of 



the original stem— as, for instance, in our 

 explanation of such a mode of develop- 

 ment of the tendril (Fig. 356). To apply 

 this principle in the case of an inflores- 

 cence we have only to assume a flower 

 developed at the tip of every branch in 

 Figs, 373 A, B and C. Flower A would 

 develop first; B, although the second In 

 order, and hence a branch, and after- 

 ward C, would be more elevated, and 

 would thus seem to prolong the vertical 

 extension of the stem. The development, 

 being successively by nodes whose orig- 

 inal points of origin were successively 

 lower than that of the terminal flower, is 

 structurally and really Descending #or 

 Basipetal, even though by the upward 

 growth of the successive branches they 

 he at successively higher levels, the 

 order api)arently in tlie opposite direc- 

 tion. By the development at each node 

 of a pair of opposite branches we got the 

 apparent bifurcating or dichotomoua 



