APPENDIX 



INFLORESCENCE 



The manner in which flowers are arranged on the floral axis or 

 flower-bearing portion of the stem is called inflorescence. Some- 

 times the flower clusters themselves are also called inflorescences. 



Each flower, like a vegetative branch, usually arises from the axil 

 of a leaf (Fig. 1, -4), but leaves along the floral axis are often minute, 

 sometimes even scale-like in appearance (Fig.l,.B; Fig. 4, ). All 

 such reduced leaves are known as bracts, and when they arise from 

 branches of the main axis, as in Fig. 6, A, they are called bractlets. 



There are two main types of inflorescence which are distin- 

 guished by the relative development of the main axis and of the 

 lateral axes. In the racemose type of inflorescence the main axis 

 is more strongly developed than the lateral ones and overtops 

 them, while in the cymose type the lateral axes extend beyond 

 the main one. Some of the principal kinds of flower clusters are 

 shown in the figures which follow. 



CLUSTERS OF THE RACEMOSE TYPE (INDETERMINATE 

 INFLORESCENCE) 



FIG. 1. A, axillary and solitary flowers of pimpernel ; 



red currant 



p, peduncle; p', pedicel; 6r, bract 

 515 



, raceme of common 



