82 BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS. [Ch. XTV- 
Fig. 56. 333. A spike, (Fig. 
56, a) is an assemblage 
of flowers arising from 
the sides of a common 
stem; the flowers are 
sessile, or with vecy 
short peduncles, as the 
Grasses and the Mul- 
lein. A spike is gen- 
erally erect. The low- 
est flowers usually blos- 
som and fade before 
the upper ones expand. 
When the flowers in a 
spike are crowded very 
close, an ear is formed, | 
as in Indian corn. 
334. An umbel (Fig. 
56, b) presents several 
flower-stalks of nearly 
equal length, spreading 
out from a common 
centre, like the rays of 
: an umbrella, bearing 
flowers om their summits; as Fennel and Cazrot. 
335. A cyme (Fig. 56, c) resembles an umbel in having its 
common stalks al. spring from one centre, but differs in having 
oe stalks irregularly sub-divided; as the Snow-ball and 
der. 
333. What is a spike? 
334. What is an umbel 4 
335. What is a cyme? 
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q side pn Sais RS 
