746 THE FLORAL STEM. 



before attaining a height of 20 metres, and during this period flowers never 

 appear. Not until the caudex has attained its full size of 22 metres does the 

 inflorescence spring from its apex, the rachis reaching an additional height of 14 

 metres. Twelve or thirteen rounded branches are given off" from this rachis, the 

 longest of which becomes 6 metres long. All the branches terminate in numerous 

 branchlets and twigs, and are richly covered with flowers. The whole inflorescence 

 when fully grown exhibits the fabulous height of 14 metres, with a breadth of 12 

 metres. As soon as the flowers open, the fan-like foliage-leaves below begin to 

 fade and often all fall off during the flowering period, so that the shaft alone 

 remains, bearing the inflorescence at its apex. The flowering period lasts for 3-4 

 weeks. As soon as it is over and the fruits matured, the whole plant dies down, 

 as in Agave Americana. Each of these palms therefore only blossoms once in 

 its life. 



With this, the largest inflorescence, may be contrasted that which is regarded 

 as the smallest of all, viz. the capitulum of Nananthea, only 2—3 millimetres in 

 diameter, found growing on the mountains of Corsica. 



The size of the inflorescence, and that of the flowers composing it, do not vary 

 proportionately. Extensive inflorescences usually have very small flowers, and vice 

 versa, but a universal rule cannot be laid down in this matter. The inflorescence 

 of Paulownia imperialis has 100 large flowers, and that of Spircea Aruncus, equal 

 in extent, 10,000 small ones. The Talipot Palm is said to bear about 100,000 

 flowers in its gigantic bouquet. In simple cymes it often happens that the central 

 flower is not developed, and the whole then consists of a pair of flowers, usually 

 curiously united, as can be seen in many species of the genus Honeysuckle {Loni- 

 cera Xylosteum, nigra, ccerulea, alpigena). In many Acanthace^, bindweeds, and 

 labiate flowers, on the other hand, it is observed that the two lateral flowers of 

 the three of a simple cyme are suppressed, and that only the central one attains 

 development, in which case the whole inflorescence is represented by a single flower. 



The floral receptacle (podium-, also torus), i.e. that part of the floral stem from 

 which the perianth leaves spring, is always somewhat thickened in comparison 

 with the flower - stalk, and may be either conical or disc - shaped. The conical 

 receptacle (conopodium) has the form of a cone, being sometimes elongated and 

 peg-shaped, but often short and but slightly curved; it is always narrowed from 

 its base, the thickest part, up to the apex. Unlike the very simply-constructed 

 conical receptacle, the disc-shaped receptacle (discopodium) presents a great variety 

 of form. The apex of the floral axis is retarded in growth, the tissue round it 

 thickens and becomes flattened, or surrounds the apex with a circular cushion or 

 rampart often rising so much above the apex that the whole receptacle has a crater- 

 like or cup-shaped appearance. In the first case, viz. when a circular wall has been 

 formed, it surrounds the pistil, developed in the centre above the apex, without 

 overtopping it, as, for example, in the flowers of Orange and Lemon trees. The 

 stamens and perianth-leaves usually arise outside, less frequently within the ring, 

 and most rarely of all from the edge of the ring itself. When a cup -shaped 



