NOMENCLATURE OF THE FLOWER. 95 



I). Compound being branched, as in the common tp-ape vine. 



c. Conjugate two clusters going from the end of the common 

 peduncle. 



d. Aggregate several being collected together. 



79. Spike: The spica or spike, is a species of inflo- 

 rescence consisting of one common stalk bearing nume- 

 rous flowers, all ranged along it without any, or having 

 very small partial stalks. 



We have examples of the spike in an ear of wheat, rye, or barley, 

 and many other grasses ; also in the mullein, agrimony, and laven- 

 tar. (F. 110 



80. The most common varieties of the spike, are, the 

 cylindrical, the articulated, the conjugate, the ramose, 

 the interrupted, and a few others. 



a. Cylindrical having a cylindrical form, as in the hoary and 

 whitish plantain. 



b. Articulated having distinct joints, as in the marsh glass-wort. 



c. Conjugate Two spikes going from the summit of the pedun- 

 cle, as in the European and small-flowered heliotrope. 



d. Ramose divided into branches, as in the English mercury. 



e. Intercepted in separate groups, as in the wood betony. 



81. Corymb : The corymbus or corymb, is a spike 

 whose partial flower stalks are gradually longer as they 

 stand lower on the common stalk, so that all the flowers 

 are nearly on a level. 



The Virginian gelder-rose, a common garden shrub, affords a very 

 perfect specimen of this kind of inflorescence. The cuckoo-flower, 

 scurvy-grass, gold-of-pleasure, and other plants of the class tetrady- 

 namia, also have corymbose flowers. (F. 9, a.) 



The corymb differs from the umbel in this circumstance, that in 

 the former, the partial foot-stalks take their origin from different 



