CHAPTER VI. ANTHOTAXY. 



59 



A Scorpioid Cyme is one that imitates a raceme in appearance, 

 having the flowers pedicelled and arranged along a lengthened 

 axis. As in the raceme, the basal flower of 

 the cluster is the oldest, but it is in reality 

 terminal instead of axillary, as shown in the 

 diagram, Fig. 192. Such an inflorescence 

 arises either from the suppression of all the 



branches on one side, in which 



case it would properly be called 



helicoid, or from the alternate 



suppression of branches, first 



on one side and then on the 



other, when it would be, in the 



strict sense, scorpioid. Owing, 



however, to the difficulty of 



distinguishing the two varieties 



when mature, they are indis- 

 criminately called scorpioid 



cymes. Such cymes are com- 

 monly one-sided or coiled in 



form. They are illustrated in 



the Sundew, the Heliotrope and 



the Forget-me-not, Fig. 193. 



Fig. 193. — Scorpioid Cyme, or false raceme of Forget-me-not. 

 Fig. 104. — Inflorescence of Peppermint, illustrating spiked verticil- 

 lasters. 



Cymes of this kind also, not uncommomly branch 

 Fig. 193. j nto compound forms. 



(5) A Yerticillaster is a compact cymose flower-cluster, 

 which at first sight appears like a whorl or circle of flowers 

 about a stem, but which in reality consists of two glomerules 

 situated in the axils of opposite leaves. Clusters of this kind 

 are seen in the Catnip, Hoarhound, Peppermint and other plants 

 belonging to the natural order Labiatse, Fig. 194. 



A Mixed Anthotaxy is one in which the indeterminate and 

 determinate plans are combined. Illustrations of this kind occur 

 in many of the Composite where the heads of flowers, which of 

 course are indeterminate clusters, are arranged in cymes. In 

 the mints, on the contrary, verticillasters or cymose clusters 



