Botanical

1. In the name of GOD
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3.  An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is
composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches.
 Morphologically ,it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are
formed and which is accordingly modified.
 The stem holding the whole inflorescence is called a peduncle and the
major axis (incorrectly referred to as the main stem) holding the flowers or
more branches within the inflorescence is called the rachis.
 A flower that is not part of an inflorescence is called a solitary flower and
its stalk is also referred to as a peduncle.
 The fruiting stage of an inflorescence is known as an infructescence.
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4.  Inflorescences usually have modified foliage different from the
vegetative part of the plant.
 any leaf associated with an inflorescence is called a bract.
 They serve a variety of functions which include attracting
pollinators and protecting young flowers
 According to the presence or absence of bracts and their
characteristics we can distinguish it to 4 types.
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6. No bracts in the inflorescence.
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7. The bracts in the inflorescence are very specialised , sometimes
reduced to small scales, divided or dissected.
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Pedicularis verticillata

8. Though often reduced in size, the bracts are unspecialised and look
like the typical leaves of the plant, so that the term flowering stem is
usually applied instead of inflorescence.
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Leafy-bracted inflorescences:
Intermediate between bracteate and leafy inflorescence.
clematitis

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 Plant organs can grow according to two different
schemes, namely monopodial or racemose and
sympodial or cymose.
 In inflorescences these two different growth patterns
are called indeterminate and determinate respectively,
and indicate whether a terminal flower is formed and
where flowering starts within the inflorescence.

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Monopodial (racemose) growth. The terminal bud keeps growing
and forming lateral flowers. A terminal flower is never formed.
Sympodial (cymose) growth. The terminal bud forms a terminal
flower and then dies out. Other flowers then grow from lateral buds.
 Hint : Indeterminate and determinate inflorescences are sometimes referred to as
open and closed inflorescences respectively.

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 acropetal basipetal divergent

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 Raceme
 Epilobium angustifolium
 Spike
 Plantago media (spike)
 Racemose corymb
 Iberis umbellata (racemose corymb)
 Umbel
 Astrantia minor (umbel)
 Spadix
 Arum maculatum (spadix)
 Head (round)
 Dipsacus fullonum (head)
 Catkin (racemose or spicate)
 Alnus incana (ament)

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A raceme is an unbranched , indeterminate inflorescence
with pedicellate (having short floral stalks)
flowers along the axis.
Epilobium angustifolium

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A spike is a type of raceme with flowers that do not
have a pedicel.

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A racemose corymb is an unbranched, indeterminate inflorescence
that is flat-topped or convex due to their outer pedicels which are
progressively longer than inner ones.
Ibris Umbellata

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An umbel is a type of raceme with a short axis and multiple floral
pedicels of equal length that appear to arise from a common point.
Astrantia minor

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A spadix is a spike of flowers densely arranged around it, enclosed or
accompanied by a highly specialised bract called a spathe. It is
characteristic of the Araceae family.

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A flower head or capitulum is a very contracted raceme in which
the single sessile flowers share are borne on an enlarged stem. It is
characteristic of Dipsacaceae.
Dipsacus fullonum

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A catkin or ament is a scaly, generally drooping spike or raceme.
Cymose or other complex inflorescences that are superficially similar are
also generally called thus.

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[1] Kubitzki, Klaus, and Clemens Bayer. 2002. Flowering
plants, Dicotyledons: Malvales, Capparales, and nonbetalain
Caryophyllales. The Families and genera of vascular
plants, 5. Berlin: Springer. p. 77
[2] Oxford English Dictionary. Raceme 2. Bot. A type of
inflorescence in which the flowers are arranged on short,
nearly equal, lateral pedicels, at equal distances along a
single elongated axis
[3] Collins English Dictionary. 8th Edition first published in
2006
[4] Oxford English Dictionary. Cyme(1) Bot. A species of
inflorescence wherein the primary axis bears a single terminal
flower which develops first, the system being continued
by axes of secondary and higher orders which develop
successively in like manner; a centrifugal or definite
inflorescence: opposed to Raceme. Applied esp. to compound
inflorescences of this type forming a more or less
flat head.

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