CHAPTER XIV. 



Inflorescence, or Arrangement of Flowers on the Stem. 



164. Regular Positions for Flower-Buds. — Flower-buds, 

 like leaf-buds, occur regularly either in the axils of leaves or 

 at the end of the stem or branch (see § 187) and are therefore 

 either axillary or terminal. 



165. Axillary and Solitary Flowers ; Indeterminate Inflores- 

 cence. — The simplest possible arrangement for flowers which 



arise from the axils of leaves is to have a 

 single flower spring from each leaf-axil. Fig. 

 104 shows how this plan appears in a plant 

 with opposite leaves. As long as the stem 

 continues to grow, the production of new 

 leaves may be followed by that of new 



Fig, 104. — Axillary 

 and Solitary Flow- 

 ers of Pimpernel. 



Fig. 105. — Raceme of Common Ked Currant ; p., 

 ped^mcle; _p'., pedicel; 6r., bract. 



flowers. Since there is no definite limit to the number of 

 flowers which may appear in this way, the mode of flowering 

 just described (with many others of the same general char- 

 acter) is known as indeterminate inflorescence. 



