42 



SYSTEM A TIC POMOLOGY 



stalks are pedicels (GG). Tlie many kinds of inflorescences of 

 tiowerintr plants are divided into two gr()U})s botli of which find 

 many examples among hardy fruits. When the flowers arise in 

 the axils of leaves, the inflorescence is said to be indeterminate 

 or racemose ; when from terminal buds, determinate or cym-ose. 

 Strictly speakin*];-, inflorescence is the mode of flowering, but the 

 word is commonly used in the sense of flower-cluster. 



Three hardy fruits have solitary flowers. The quince bears 

 solitary flowers which may be either terminal or axillary ; while 

 in tlie ])each and apricot the flowers are solitary and axil- 

 lary. 



Fig. 29. Flower of Red Dutch currant, a. petal 

 d. stamen ; e. ring ; f. ovary. 



b. sepal ; c. pistil ; 



The racemose types of inflorescence are : the raceme in w^hich 

 the flowers are arranged along the sides of a common peduncle 

 with the pedicels of nearly equal length, as in the currant and 

 in the wdld black cherry; the corymh similar to the raceme but 

 having flowers with pedicels of different lengths, those toward 

 the base of the peduncle being longest so that the cluster is flat- 

 topped, as in sweet and sour cherries and the pear, the flowers 

 of which at the base of the cluster open first ; the panicle, a 

 modified raceme in which some of the parts are branched and 

 bear flowers while others are simple, as in the grape. The 

 inflorescence in nearly all of the bramble-fruits is racemose but 

 the flowers in a few are solitary. 



Of the cymose or determinate types of inflorescence, but one 

 of several are represented in hardy fruits. The cyme is a flat- 

 topped flower-cluster as in the corymb, but the inflorescence 



