BOTANY. 159 



which support them. The flower may be borne upon a spe- 

 cies of foot-stalk called peduncle ; or even attached imme- 

 diately by its base, it is then sessile. When the peduncle is 

 ramified, each of the divisions bearing a flower takes the name 

 of pedicel; the small leaves, entirely different from the others, 

 which are often found about one or several united flowers, 

 are called bractes; a symmetrical disposition of these organs 

 around one or more flowers, so as to form a kind of accessory 

 envelope, bears the appellation of involucrum. Many mono- 

 tyledons have large alternate sheath-like bractes, which en- 

 velope the flowers in their first development, and which ex- 

 pand, little by little, in the form of a horn ; these are spathes. 

 When there is only one flower upon a plant, the inflorescence 

 is said to be unifloral; when there are two, it is termed gemi- 

 nate ; when three, female; when several from the same node, 

 verticulate. There are two classes of inflorescence. 



CLASS I. CENTRIPETAL OR INDEFINITE. 



Flowers springing from the axil of the leaves, and expand- 

 ing from the circumference to the centre. The varieties may 

 be referred to two types. 



TYPE I. SPIKE. 



Flowers sessile in the axil of several leaves or bractes, and 

 not detaching themselves after the florescence. [Wheat y 

 Rye, &c.] 



CATKIN OR AMENT. 



Spike composed of male or female flowers only, surrounded 

 by scales like bractes, withering and falling after florescence, 

 [Hazel, Willow.] 



CONE. 



Spike where the flowers are provided with very large 

 bractes, or such as are susceptible of increase after florescence, 

 and which often have the appearance of an unique whole. 

 [Pine.] 



SPADIX. 



Spike with a fleshy axis peculiar to monocotyledons, and, 



