INFLORESCENCE. 



99 



when this is accomplished the flower-stalk dies, and the point of the 

 stem which bore it ceases forever to grow. The flower 

 then, in its special work, is independent of the plant, 

 whilst every part of the plant is subservient to the 

 flower. Examine the Pea plant in bloom (axillary), 

 the Oleander, or the Elder (terminal). Adventitious 

 inflorescence — like that of the Chocolate-tree — is rare. 

 Latent buds are common ; they usually appear in the 

 bract-axils. 



209. Inflorescence especially relates to the 

 position and behavior of clustered flowers in 

 regard to the peduncle. When a flower 

 stands alone on its peduncle, like the Butter- 

 wort (Fig. 88) and Violet, it is solitary; 

 when flowers are clustered on a comrhon pe- 

 duncle, as in the Plantain (Fig. 136), they 

 form what is technically called an Inflores- 

 cence. The upper part of 

 the common peduncle, on 

 which the flowers grow, is 

 the rachis ; when the lower part is want- 

 ing, the in- 

 florescence is 

 sessile. In 

 acaulescent 

 plants, like 



(Malva Alcea) 

 corolla. 



Fig, 135. — Chocolate-tree (Theobroma 

 Cacao). 



Fio. 136.— Common Plantain {Plan- 

 tago major).; entire ; in fl. 



the Butterwort and Plantain, the common peduncle is 



