INFLORESCENCE 



?i 



grouped into two heads, namely: (i) racemose or 



INDEFINITE, and (2) CYMOSE or DEFINITE. 



Racemose inflorescences, as the name signifies, are 

 essentially monopodial. The following are the prin- 

 cipal forms (fig. 70): (i) RACEME {r), an inflor- 

 escence in which the axis or rachis goes on grow- 

 ing indefinitely and producing equally pedicillate 

 flowers in an acropetal order; (2) spike {s), a 



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ip 



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/ ^ 



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77 J- , U. C. Clf. 



Fig 70. — Diag^rams of Various Types of Racemose Inflorescence 

 r. Raceme, s, Spilie. u, Umbel, c, Capitulum. cy, Corymb. 



raceme with sessile flowers; (3) spadix, a spike with 

 a thick rachis enclosed within a big membranous or 

 woody bract or bracts known as spathe (fig. 71); 

 (4) CORYMB (cy), a raceme with its flowers brought to 

 a nearly level top by the unequal growth of the 

 pedicels ; (5) umbel (m), a raceme with its rachis sup- 

 pressed so that the equally pedicillate flowers all 

 spring from the apex of the peduncle; and (6) capi- 

 tulum (c), a spike with its rachis widened out radi- 

 ally in the form of a head or receptacle and the sessile 

 flowers inserted upon it. In raceme and spike the 



