BOTANY. 



159 



which support them. The flower may be borne upon a spe- 

 cies of foot-stalk called peduncle) or even attached imme- 

 diately by its base, it is then sessile. When the peduncle is 

 ramified, each of the divisions bearing a flower takes the name 

 of pedicel ; the small leaves, entirely different from the others, 

 which are often found about one or several united flowers, 

 are called bractes; a symmetrical disposition of these organs 

 around one or more flowers, so as to form a kind of accessory 

 envelope, bears the appellation of involucrum. Many mono- 

 tyledons have large alternate sheath-like bractes, which en- 

 velope the flowers in their first development, and which ex- 

 pand, little by little, in the form of a horn; these are spathes. 

 When there is only one flower upon a plant, the inflorescence 

 is said to be unifloral; when there are two, it is termed gemi- 

 nate; when three, ternate; when several from the same node, 

 verticulate. There are two classes of inflorescence. 



CLASS I. CENTRIPETAL OR INDEFINITE. 



Flowers springing from the axil of the leaves, and expand- 

 ing from the circumference to the centre. The varieties may 

 be referred to two types. 



Type L Spike. 



Flowers sessile in the axil of several leaves or bractes, and 

 not detaching themselves after the florescence. [Wheat, 

 Rye, &c] 



Catkin or Ament. 



Spike composed of male or female flowers only, surrounded 

 by scales like bractes, withering and falling after florescence. 

 [Hazel, Willow.] 



Cone. 



Spike where the flowers are provided with very large 

 bractes, or such as are susceptible of increase after florescence, 

 and which often have the appearance of an unique whole. 

 [Pine.] 



Spadix. 



Spike with a fleshy axis peculiar to monocotyledons, and, 



