60 



HOW PLANTS AEE PROPAGATED. 



173. The flower-stalk or footstalk of a blossom is called a Peduncle (96). 

 the flowers in Fig. 138, 139, &c. are peduncled or stalked. But in 

 Fig. 141 they are sitting on the stem, or sessile. 



174. In clusters we need to distinguish two kinds of flower-stalks ; 

 namel}', the stalk of the whole cluster, if there be any, and the stalk 

 of each blossom. In such cases we call the stalk of the cluster the 

 Peduncle, and the stalk of the individual flowers we name the Pedi- 

 cel. In the Lily of the Valley (Fig. 3, as in Fig. 140), there is the 

 peduncle or general flower-stalk (which is here a continuation of 

 the main stem), and then the flowers all haxe, pedicels of their own. 



175. Kinds of Flower-Clusters. Of those which bear their flowers on 

 the sides of a main stalk, in the axils of leaves or bracts, the prin- 

 cipal kinds are the Raceme, the Corymb, the Umbel, the Head, and 

 the Spihe with its varieties ; also the Panicle. In the head and 

 the spike the flowers are sessile. In the others they have pedicels 

 or footstallis of their own. 



176. A Raceme is a cluster with the blossoms arranged along the 

 sides of a main flower-stalk, or its continuation, and all on pedicels 

 of about the same length. A bunch of Currant-blossoms or berries, 



.140 



or the graceful cluster of the Lily of the Valley (Fig. 3, 140) are 

 good illustrations. Fig. 142 shows the plan of the raceme. Notice that a raceme 

 always blossoms from the bottom to the top, in regular order ; because the lower 

 buds are of course the oldest. 



177. A Corymb is a flat-topped or convex cluster, like that of Hawthorn. Fig. 



