THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 345 
which the branches arise and the relative position of the 
oldest flowers. or else to the general form as modified by more 
obvious features, like the relative lengths of the internodes. 
It is desirable to keep these two points of view distinct. 
Viewed as to their system of branching, simple inflores- 
cences, such as most of those we have been studying, are 
either of the cymose or the botryose type. Under the head 
of cymose inflorescences we should include a solitary flower 
which terminates a leafy axis, as in the wood-anemony; while 
a solitary flower, which, like that of the mouse-tail, springs 
from the axil of a foliage leaf would more logically be called 
botryose. When the branches of an inflorescence branch 
again it becomes compound, as in our example of clematis, 
(Fig. 290) which has a compound cyme, or cyme of cymes. 
As to general form we may here distinguish: (1) racemose 
inflorescences or racemes, like those of monkshood and 
baneberry, which are simple and have pedicels all shorter 
than the rachis, thus giving an elongated cluster; (2) panicu- 
late 1 inflorescences or panicles, which are more or less elon- 
gated and compound, as in Fig. 293; and (3) corymbose 2 in- 
florescences or corymbs (Fig. 290) which have the outer 
pedicels or branches about as long as the rachis, and those 
nearer the center progressively shorter so that the cluster 
as a whole is broad and more or less flat-topped. Corymbs 
often become racemose as they grow older, and compound 
corymbs, paniculate. Some botanists would restrict the 
terms raceme, panicle, and corymb to indeterminate in- 
florescences; but in practice these names are applied indis- 
criminately also to inflorescences of the determinate type 
which have assumed the forms above defined. Thus we may 
speak of a racemose, paniculate, or corymbose cyme. 
In a flower of marsh-marigold we recognize many organs 
similar to those already observed in the flax but with some 
important differences. Thus in the center of the flower we 
find a cluster of pistils each with a single stigma, style, and 
ovulary cavity instead of a single pistil with several styles 
and stigmas and a single ovary with several cavities. Such 
1 Pan-ie’-u-late < L. panicula, a tuft. 
2 Cor-ymb’-ose < L. corymbus, a cluster of flowers. 
