FLOWER AND INFLORESCENCES 



169 



receptacle. The capitulum is very common in the order of 

 plants called the Compositae. The florets of the head open on 

 the outside first, the inner ones opening last. Examples Daisy, 

 Dandelion, and Clover. (Fig. 172). 



FIG. 170. Compound 

 umbel of Sweet 

 Cicely. 



FIG. 171. Enlarged 

 view of portion of 

 compound umbel 

 of Sweet Cicely 



FIG. 172. Head of Clover. 

 (One-fifth nat. size.) 





EXPT. 158. Examine the inflorescence of the Wallflower. Note 

 (i) The peduncle, or axis upon which the flowers are placed, 

 (ii) The pedicels by which the flowers are connected to the peduncle, 

 (iii) The kind of inflorescence. The pedicels spring from different 

 parts of the peduncle and thus form a raceme. 



EXPT. 159. Obtain a Plantain and examine it. Note 



(i) The large number of green flowers which hide the peduncle from 

 view. 



(ii) The flowers do not possess stalks, or are sessile on the peduncle. 



(iii) The arrangement of the sessile flowers shows that the inflorescence 

 is a spike. 



EXPT. 160. Strip off the flowers from an inflorescence of the Daisy. 

 Note 



(i) The common receptacle upon which the flowers are placed, 

 (ii) The flowers are sessile, as in the spike, 

 (iii) The inflorescence is a head or capitulum. 



EXPT. 161. Compare the simple umbel of the Cowslip or Oxlip 

 with the compound umbel of the Fool's Parsley. Note 



(i) In the simple umbel of the Cowslip the pedicels are not branched, 

 while in the compound umbel of Fool's Parsley each pedicel is branched ; 

 and at the apex of each branch a flower is produced. 



(ii) The flowers in both come to the same level. 



