THE ANGIOSPERMAE 



1081 



inflorescences in which the structure of the 

 individual flower has been sunk, often 

 hterally as well as figuratively, into the 

 compound structure. The capitulum and 

 the cyathium are the most familiar examples 

 but cases also occur in other families. 



Such a case is Brosimum (Moraceae). 

 Several members of this family, notably 

 Moms (Mulberry), produce short spikes in 

 which the flowers are more or less closely 

 united to each other and to the inflorescence 

 axis, but in Brosimum this has gone so far 

 that the male flowers of the spike are 

 reduced to single stamens, arising from a 

 spherical swelling enclosing a female flow^er, 

 which is represented by a single carpel 

 (Fig. 1048). 



The capitulum is characteristic of the 

 Compositae, but the same type of condensa- 

 tion of the inflorescence into flower-like 

 capitula or pseudanthia, appears quite inde- 

 pendently in Saururaceae {Hoiittuyma); 

 Hamamelidaceae {Rhodoleia) (Fig. 1049); 

 Liliaceae (Massom'a) (Fig. 1050) and Hae- 

 manthus; Umbelliferae' [Astrantia); Cor- 



FiG. 1048. — Bro'iimiiin discolor. A, 

 Median section through inflor- 

 escence with central female 

 flower reduced to one carpel and 

 male flowers reduced to single 

 stamens. B, Young stamen. C, 

 Stamen after dehiscence. {After 

 Velenovsky.) 



Fig. 1049. — Rliodoleia cliampioni. Inflorescences simulating 

 single flowers. {After Velenovsky.) 



