S.Y.Bsc Semester Iii Botany Paper I Unit: Iii Inflorescence

S.Y.
BSc SEMESTER III

BOTANY PAPER I UNIT: III
INFLORESCENCE
By Miss. Shweta Chavan

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY
SATISH PRADHAN DNYANASADHANA
COLLEGE,THANE(W)
Solitary Flowers
• Some species of plants
produce solitary
flowers.
• Solitary flowers are
are borne singly and
separate from one
another.
Saucer Magnolia
solitary flowers
Solitary Flowers
• Another example of a
plant that bears
solitary flowers is
Bloodred Geranium.
Many solitary flowers on

Bloodred Geranium
(Geranium sanguineum)
What is an inflorescence?
The stem axis of the floral region bearing a

group of flower in a particular manner.
• There are many types of inflorescences. Each
type of inflorescence is determined by how
the flowers are arranged.
• Inflorescences are a useful plant ID tool.
Parts of Inflorescence
• Peduncle: central axis on which flowers are
produced
• Pedicel: stalk of single flower, pedicillate or
sessile
• Bract: reduced leaf at the base of flower
• Receptacle: flat disc like peduncle axis
Types of inflorescence
Racemose: Inflorescence axis continues to grow & give
off flowers. The older flowers are at the base and younger
at the apex
Types of racemose:
Simple raceme: with elongated axis
 Raceme: flowers are stalked, lower flowers with long
stalks eg Cesalpinia
 Spike: flowers are without stalk, e.g. Tuberose
 Catkin: spike with long and pendulous axis with unisexual
flowers
 Spadix: spike with fleshy axis, enclosed in bright coloured
bracts (spathe), e.g. colocasia
rar
Spike
• Individual flowers are
sessile (without
pedicels).
• Lower flowers open
first.
• Indeterminate.
spike
Raceme
• Individual flowers
have pedicels.
• Pedicels can vary in peduncle
length from species to
species.
• Lower flowers open
first. pedicel
• Indeterminate.
raceme
Raceme with shortened main axis
Raceme with shortened main axis
• Corymb: short main axis, lower flowers with
longer stalks than upper ones, so all flowers
are at same level, e.g. Cassia
• Umbel: flowers with more or less equal stalk,
flowers spread out from a common point.
Presence of bract forming involucre at the
base, e.g. Centella
Raceme with flattened main axis
• Capitulum (head): main axis flat, bearing mass
of small flowers (florets), with whorl of bract
at the base. Flowers – unisexual ray and
bisexual disc florets, e.g. Sunflower, cosmos,
gerbera
Compound raceme
• Panicle: axis is branched, flowers are produced
on lateral branches, e.g. gulmohar
• Compound corymb: peduncle is branched and
each branch bear corymb like inflo. E.g. Ixora
• Compound umbel: shortened prim axis with
flowerson the branches, e.g. coriander
• Compound spadix: more than one spadix inflo.
Enclosed in bract
• Compound head: peduncle is branched, several
capitula in the same involucre,
Cymose infloresence
Main axis and lateral axis end in a flower, the growth
of the axis is definite. Terminal flower is older than
lateral flowers.
Types of cymose
Uniparous (monochasial) cyme: main axis is
terminated into flower with only one lateral
branch ends with flower
Helicoid: lateral axis develop successively on same
side forming helix, e.g. Hamelia
Scorpoid: lateral axis on alternate side forming zig-
zag structure, e.g. Heliotropium
Types of cymose inflorescence
• Biparous (dichasial): mature flower at the tip
of main axis, two lateral younger flowers, e.g.
clerodendron, jasmine
• Multiparous (polychasial): older flower at the
tip of axis, number of lateral flowers around,
like umbel,e.g. Ixora, Calotropis
Panicle
• A highly branched
inflorescence consisting of
many, repeating units.
• Panicles can be made of
many spikes, racemes,
corymbs, or umbels.
• Indeterminate.
A panicle of racemes
Umbel
• Individual flower
pedicels all originate
from the same spot on
the peduncle.
pedicel • Outer flowers open
first.
• Indeterminate.
peduncle
Umbel
• Allium ‘Jade Eyes’,

image courtesy of
Breck’s.
• Often, umbels are
globe-shaped like this
one.
Allium
Corymb
• Somewhat similar to the
umbel.
• Individual flower pedicels are
attached to the peduncle at
different points.
• Often flat-topped.
• Outer flowers open first.
• Indeterminate.
pedicel peduncle
corymb
Corymb
• Pyrus calleryana,
Callery Pear, is a
beautiful, spring-
flowering tree covered
with corymbs of white
flowers.
Callery Pear
Cyme
• In real life, cymes tend to
be flat or convex shaped.
• The inner flowers open
first.
• Determinate.
cyme
Cyme
• Cymes are often
compound as shown in
the illustration to the
right.
compound cyme
Corymbs vs. Cymes
• Often these two types of inflorescences can look a
lot alike.
• Remember that corymbs are indeterminate, they
continue to elongate as the season progresses.
Cymes are determinate and do not continue to
elongate as the growing season progresses. Also, the
inner flowers of cymes open first.
Composite Head
disk flower
• A highly advanced
inflorescence.
• Consists of separate ray
and disk flowers
ray flower
• Bracts may be green,
bract
but can also be
colored(Strawflower).
Composite Head
• Helianthus annus,
Sunflower, produces a
large composite head.
• After pollination and
fertilization, each disk
flower becomes a
single-seeded fruit.
Sunflower
Composite Head
• Echinaceae purpurea,
Purple Coneflower (image
courtesy of Wildflower
Farm).
• Composite head with
purple ray flowers and
brown disk flowers.
Purple Coneflower
Review Time!
What’s this?
• Umbel
What’s this?
• Raceme
What’s this?
• Corymb
What’s this?
• Composite Head
What’s this?
• Panicle
What’s this?
• Spike
What’s this?
• Cyme
THANK YOU…….

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S.Y.

BSc SEMESTER III

By Miss. Shweta Chavan

Many solitary flowers on

The stem axis of the floral region bearing a

• Allium ‘Jade Eyes’,

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