CHAPTER XIII 



INFLORESCENCE, OR ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS 

 ON THE STEM 



196. 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 and are therefore 

 either axillary or terminal. 



197. Axillary and Solitary Flowers; Indeterminate 

 Inflorescence. — 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. 128 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 



F" 



Fig. 128.— Axillary and 

 Solitary Flowers of 

 Pimpernel. 



Fio. 129. — Eaoeme of 

 Common Bed Currant. 

 p, peduncle ; p', pedicel ; br, 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 character) is known as indeterminate inflorescence. 



186 



