68 INFLORESCENCE. 



113), the palm, &c., are examples. Finally, the bracts of some 

 giants are in the form of two small scales, which seem to be in 

 the place of the proper envelopes of the flower, and then they 

 constitute what botanists call glume (from the Latin, gluma, 

 a husk of corn, Jig. 77). 



20. The terminal portion of the pedicil which gives rise to 

 the different parts of the flower, is called torus (from the 

 Latin, torus, a bed). When the terminal extremity of a peduncle 



is divided into a great number of pedicils, 

 and these are very short, we generally re- 

 mark that the principal support is widened 

 and thickened, and to this dilated portion of 

 the peduncle we give the name of recep- 

 tacle ; it contains a deposit of nutritive 

 matter destined to assist in the develop- 

 ment of the flowers situate above, and it 

 is sometimes entirely fleshy as in the 



Fig. 78. RECEPTACLE, artichoke ; sometimes it is so concave as to 

 completely enclose the flowers and fruits 



that arise from it, as is seen in the fig tree (fig. 78). 



21. We give the name of inflorescence to the arrangement 

 which the flowers assume on the stem, and we give special names 

 to the different arrangements they assume. For instance, those 

 flowers which spring from the axil of an ordinary leaf, are called 

 axillary fimvers ; and these axillary flowers are again distin- 

 guished by the terms solitary, geminal, ternary, quaternary, 

 and fascicular, according as one, two, three, four, or a greater 

 number spring from the axil of the same leaf: and we give the 

 name tf verticillate to flowers which arise from the axil of leaves 

 which are also verticillate, and form a kind of ring around the 

 stem. Terminal flowers are those found at the extremity of the 

 stem or a principal branch, and accompanied at their base by two 

 opposite bracts ; the term spike (fig. 79) is applied to axillary 

 flowers which are arranged upon a common, but simple and 

 not ramified axis, as in the wheat, &c. ; when unisexual flowers 

 furnished with scales, the known peduncle of which is similar to 

 that of the spike, but is articulated at its base in such a manner 



Explanation of Fig. 78. Flowers of a fig tree enclosed in a concave 

 receptacle ; a, receptacle ; 6, flowers. 



20. What is meant by torus ? What is the receptacle ? 



21. What is meant by inflorescence? What is meant by axillary 

 flowers ? What are verticillate flowers ? What are terminal flowers ? 

 What is a spike ? What is a cat-kin ? What is a cluster ? What is a 

 panicle? What is a thyrsus? What is a corymb ? What is an umbel? 

 What is a capital ? 



