THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 345 



which the branches arise and the relative position of the 

 oldest flowers, or else to the general form as modified l^y 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 w^e 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 - 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 



' Pan-ic'-u-Iate < L. panicida, a tuft. 



- Cor-ymb'-ose < L. corymbus, a cluster of flowers. 



