300 



FLOWERS 



Fig, 1 20. — A panicle of 

 a common kind of grass. 

 Note that it might be 

 described as a com- 

 pound raceme. 



The panicle. (See Figure 120.) This kind of inflorescence 



is found especially among various kinds of grasses, all of 

 which are wind-polhnated. It is very 

 graceful. It may be described as a 

 raceme whose flower-bearing branches 

 have subdivided ; that is, it is a sort 

 of compound raceme. 



The corymb. (See Figures 11 f, 121) 

 This kind of inflorescence is of frequent 

 occurrence. It may be described as a 

 shortened raceme in which the pedicels 

 are of unequal length, the lowermost 

 being the longest, with the result that 

 the flowers (or heads) are borne at 

 about the same level. 



The umbel. (See Figure 122.) This 



is an inflorescence whose pedicels arise from the same place, 



and are usually of about equal 



length. It is a kind which is very 



easy to recognize. Milkweed affords 



a famihar example of it. Cherry 



blossoms are also borne in umbels. 



The inflorescences of the wild carrot 



(queen's lace) and wild parsnip are 



compound umbels ; the large family 



to which these plants belong is called 



Umbellifera; its flowers are always 



in umbels. 



The head. (See Figures 123 and 



124.) This kind of inflorescence has 



been mentioned as characteristic of 



the Composites. It might be described as an umbel whose 



Fig. 121. — A corymb of the 

 yarrow, a common weed, 

 and one of the Compositm. 

 Note that in this case, as is 

 common among Composiia, 

 we have an inflorescence 

 made up of inflorescences. 



