BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS. 



[Ch.XlV 



Fig. 56. 



333. A spike, (Fig. 

 56, a) is an assemblage 

 of flowers arising from 

 the sides of a common 

 stem ; the flowers ar 

 sessile, or with very 

 short peduncles, as the 

 Grasses and the Mul- 

 lein. A spike is gen- 

 erally erect. The low- 

 est ilowers usually bio* 

 som and fade before 

 the upper ones expand. 

 When the flowers in a 

 spike are crowded very 

 close, an ear is formed, 

 as in Indian corn. 



334. An umoel (Fig. 

 56, b) presents several 

 flower-stalks of nearly 

 equal length, spreading 

 out from a common 

 centre, like the rays of 

 an umbrella, bearing 



flowers or their summits ; as Fennel and Carrot. 



335. A cyme (Fig. 56, c) resembles an umbel in having its 

 common stalks aL spring from one centre, but differs in having 

 those stalks irregularly sub-divided : as the Snow-ball and 

 Elder. 



333. What is a spike 1 

 334 What is an 'umbel? 

 335. Whatisacrmel 



