BRACTS AND FLORAL LEAVES. 77 
(1.) When the main axis is long or fairly long, it may bear 
stalked flowers, and is then a raceme (fig. 31). A good 
example is the hyacinth, and here, as in 
all indefinite flower clusters, the blossoms 
open in acropetal order, so that the lowest 
flowers have withered before the upper- 
most ones are even open. Further in- 
stances are found in foxglove, snapdragon, 
wallflower, barberry (fig. 31), and currant. 
The last two racemes are pendulous, owing 
to the weaknesss of the main axis, while 
bracts are absent in the wallflower. Where, 
as in hawthorn and edible cherry, the axis 
is comparatively short, and the pedicels 
farther from the apex are larger than those 
nearer it, so as to bring the flower to about 
the same level, we have a corymb. This 
is only a variety of raceme. The flowers 
here open centripetally, 2.e., the outer ones 
FIG. 31.—Raceme of Bar- 
berry. 
open before the inner ones, since they are first developed. When 
_ Fic. 32.— FIG. 33.—Spadix of Arum. 1. Closed; 
Spike of Verbena. 2.cutopen. a. axis; b. spathe;f. 
female flowers; m. male flowers; 
those above are aborted. 
an elongated main axis bears sessile flowers, a spike (fig. 32) is 
