142 



ANTHOTAXY, OR INFLORESCENCE. 



fugacious. Each flower is subtended by (grows from the axil 

 of) a bract in Fig. 277-280, &c. A cluster of flowers is sub- 

 tended by a conspicuous and colored bract in Fig. 269, 270, 271 ; 

 by a circle of colored bracts, imitating white petals, in Fig. 294. 

 SPATHE is the name given to such an enclosing bract, or 

 to two or more leaves successively enclosing a flower-cluster. 



INVOLUCRE is the name given to a circle or spiral collection of 

 bracts around a flower-cluster, as in Cornel (Fig. 294, also in Fig. 

 280 and 286), or around a single flower, as in Hepatica and 

 Mallow. A compound inflorescence may have both a general 

 and a partial involucre, one for the general flower-cluster, others 

 subtending the partial clusters. The name of involucre is then 

 reserved for the general one ; that of 



INVOLUCEL is applied to the partial, secondary ,' or ultimate 

 involucres. 



BRACTLETS (Lat. Bracteola, diminutive of bract) are bracts of 

 9 secondary or ultimate order. For example, in the slender 

 flower-cluster, Fig. 277, b is a bract, subtending each individual 

 flower-stalk ; b' is a bractlet, or bract of secondary order, borne 

 on that partial flower-stalk itself. The French naturally translate 

 the Latin bracteola into bracteole (pi. bracteoles) : in English, 

 bractlet is an idiomatic and better diminutive. 



PALETS (Lat. Palece), also called Chaff, are diminutive or 



FIG. 270. Monophyllous spathe of Indian Turnip, with tip more erect. 271. Spatlie 

 ind spadix of Calla. 272. Raceme of Cherry, leafy at base. 273. Dichotomous cyme. 

 Z74. Panicle of Meadow-Grass. 275. A corymb. 



