302 



B0TAN7. 



Color* — Buds wlien fully ripened are most commonly brown or 

 brownisL. in color, but may be black, gray, red, rusty ^ferruginous), 

 etc., etc. 



Structure. — Dissect several buds, carefully removing the scales 

 one by one, and preserving them as a series. Notice that the outer- 

 most ones are usually the hardest, and that as we pass to the inner 

 ones the texture is gradually softer and more like that of young 

 leaves. Notice that the interior is composed of young leaves (or 

 young flowers). 



With a very sharp knife split a bud from base to apex, and notice 

 the arrangement of the scales and young leaves (or young flowers) 

 upon the little stem (axis). 



Cut a bud across (cross-section), and notice again the arrangement 

 of the parts. Notice particularly the manner of folding {vernation) 

 of the young leaves in the bud. 



§ 5. The Flower, 

 inflorescence. 



Types of Inflorescence — In the study of the flowers of a plant we 

 must first consider their arrangement, i.e.. Inflorescence. There are 

 two principal kinds of inflorescence, the racemose and the cymose. 

 In the first the flowers are always lateral as to the principal axis or 

 axes of the flower-cluster ; in the second every axis, principal and 

 secondary, terminates with a flower. In either arrangement each 

 flower may be upon a flower-stalk (pedicel) of greater or less length, 

 or the stalk may be wanting, when the flower is sessile. In some 

 cases of compound inflorescence the branching is partly of one type 

 and partly of the other ; such cases may be considered examples of 

 mixed inflorescence. 



Kinds of Inflorescence — The most important of the forms com- 

 monly met are given in the following table of inflorescences : 



A. RACEMOSE OR BOTRYOSE INFLORESCENCES. 



I. Flowers solitary in the axils of the leaves 



—e.g., Vinca Solitary Axillary. 



II. Flowers in simple groups. (Fig. 196.) 



\L 



B^ mz. 





spl^jse:. head, 



C 3 



C 3 



Fig. 196.— Diagrams of racemose JnfloresoenceB, 



