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THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



plan as that of the Buttercup, the essential feature of the branch- 

 ing being that the main shoot ends in a flower, and that further 

 flowers are borne terminally on lateral branches. Such in- 

 florescences are called cymose. In contrast to such an arrange- 

 ment of the flowers we shall meet with many inflorescences in 

 which the main shoot does not end in a flower, but continues 

 its growth while the flowers are produced in regular succession 

 as lateral branches. These are called racemose. The two modes 

 of branching will be evident from the diagram (Fig. 52), and a 



FlG. 52. Diagrams of (A) cymose inflorescence, and (B) racemose inflorescence. 

 The numbers indicate the order in which the flowers open. 



recognition of the distinction between them will be of use in 

 dealing with special examples. 



The flower of the Buttercup is borne on a slender, green flower- 

 stalk. This in R. repens is marked by slight longitudinal grooves, 

 and, like the stem, bears whitish hairs. At the upper end of the 

 flower-stalk a number of floral leaves of different kinds and very 

 different appearance are crowded together, forming the flower. 

 These parts are of four kinds. On the outside are five green 

 leaves, within which come five larger and more conspicuous 

 yellow leaves. Still further in are a large number of narrow 

 stalked yellow structures, and in the centre are a number of small 

 green bodies closely crowded together. The relative positions of 

 these parts will be best understood if a flower is cut in half with 



