344 THE CROWFOOT FAMILY 
cyme.! The inflorescence of the marsh-marigold is a simple 
cyme. A well-developed cyme is found in certain species of 
clematis. Here, as shown in Fig. 290, the axes repeatedly 
branch, making the cyme compound. In compound inflores- 
cences the ultimate flower-stalks are called pedicels.2, A whorl 
or cluster of bracts is an involucre;? while the term involucel 4 
is applied to a whorl of bractlets. Thus the wood-anemony 
has an involucre of three leaf-like bracts situated far below the 
solitary flower. These are called bracts because in related 
species bracts similarly placed subtend peduncles, although 
as must be obvious the distinction between bracts and bract- 
lets in such cases is rather arbitrary. Fennel-flower has an 
involucel of a few large bractlets very near the blossom. 
Most of the crowfoot family have simple, cymose inflores- 
cences, usually of only a few flowers as in crowfoots, colum- 
bines, and the Christmas rose. Often, even in the genera 
mentioned, the flowers may be solitary, and this is usually if 
not always the case in mouse-tails, anemonies, fennel-flowers, 
and peonies. ; 
In contrast with these determinate inflorescences in which 
the terminal, upper, or inner flowers are the older, are in- 
florescences of the indeterminate type shown in baneberries 
and monkshoods. Here the upper flowers are the younger, 
and the main axis or rachis® may elongate indefinitely, 
developing new flowers as it grows. When, as in the ex- 
amples given, the main axis is longer than the peduncles, 
the cluster is termed a raceme. So typical is this of the 
indeterminate form of inflorescence that the term botryose ? 
of similar implication is given to it as being in significant 
contrast with cymose. 
From the above it appears that in describing and naming 
inflorescences botanists have regard either to the manner in 
1Cyme < Gr. kyma, a young sprout, because the younger flowers 
arise like sprouts from below. (Pronounced siem.) 
2 Ped’-i-cel < L. pedicellus, diminutive of pediculus, dim. of pes, 
pedis, foot. 
3 In’-vo-lu-cre < L. involucrum, < tnvolvere, enwrap. 
4 In-vol’-u-cel < L. involucellum, a little wrapper. 
5 Ra’/-chis < Gr. rhachis, backbone. 
6 Ra-ceme’ < L. racemus, a bunch of grapes. 
7 Bot’-ry-ose < Gr. botrys, a bunch of grapes. 
