INFLORESCENCE 



191 



the cyme, and hence, the term "cymose" is frequently used 

 as synonymous with determinate or definite. 



357-361. — Diagrams of indefinite inflorescence: 357, compound corymb; 358, 

 compound raceme, or panicle ; 359, umbel; 360, corymb; 361, raceme. 



276. Nature of the Cyme. — To understand the nature 

 of the cyme, study a forking branch of common mouse-ear 

 chickweed {Cerastium vulgatum), corn cockle, or spurge 

 (^Euphorbia). Examine carefully what appears to be the 

 topmost cluster of blossoms, and it will be found to consist 

 of a single terminal flower (probably already gone to 

 seed), with two smaller flower clusters rising from the 

 axils of leaves at the 

 base of the peduncle. 

 The older blossoms 

 in the center, being 

 terminal, stopped the 

 growth of the axis 

 in that direction just 

 as we saw in the 

 case of the terminal 

 flower bud of the 

 buckeye, and forced 

 the stem in continu- 

 ing its growth to send 

 out side branches from the axils of the topmost leaves. 

 One or both of these branches will produce, or perhaps 

 has already produced, in turn, a terminal flower which 

 forces its branch to divide again, and so on, forking indef- 

 initely in a manner precisely analogous to the dichotomous 



Forking cyme of common chickweed. 



