118 



FLOWER- BEAN CHES 



Umbelliferae, or umbel- 

 bearing family. In the 

 carrot and many other Um- 

 belliferaB, there are small 

 or secondary umbels, called 

 umbellets, at the end of 

 each of the main branches. 

 (In the center of the wild 

 carrot umbel one often 

 finds a single, blackish, 

 often aborted flower, 

 comprising a 1 - flowered 

 umbellet.) 



243. CYMOSE CLUSTERS. 

 When the terminal Or 179. Corymbs of the bridal wreath (spirea). 



central flower opens first, the cluster is said to be cymose. 



The growth of the shoot or cluster 

 is determinate, since the length 

 is definitely determined or stopped 

 by the terminal flower. Fig. 181 

 shows a determinate or cymose 

 mode of flower -bearing. 



24i. Dense cymose clusters are 

 usually flattish on top because of 

 the cessation of growth in the 

 main or central axis. These com- 

 pact flower -clusters are known as 

 cymes. Apples, pears (Fig- 182) 

 and cherries bear flowers in 

 cymes. Some cymes look very 

 like umbels (as in Fig. 183). A 

 head -like cymose cluster is a 

 glomerule : it blooms from the 

 top downwards rather than from 



178. Corymb of candytuft. the base Upwards. 



