Inflorescence

Question 1

inflorescence

Answer 1

is an arrangement of one or more flowers on a floral axis. Important features in determining inflorescence type include:
• number of flowers
• positional relationships of flowers
• presence/absence of pedicels
• branching pattern within the flower cluster

Question 2

Axillary

Answer 2

arising from the axil of a leaf

Question 3

Terminal

Answer 3

at the apex of a branch or stem

Question 4

Pedicel

Answer 4

the stalk of an individual flower

Question 5

Peduncle

Answer 5

the stalk of an inflorescence

Question 6

Sessile

Answer 6

lacking a stalk (a sessile flower would not have a pedicel)

Question 7

Bract

Answer 7

a reduced leaf, especially one associated with a flower or an inflorescence

Question 8

Bracteole

Answer 8

a small bract

Question 9

Involucre

Answer 9

an organized set of bracts associated with a flower or inflorescence

Question 10

Spathe

Answer 10

a large and sometimes brightly colored bract that partially to completely surrounds an inflorescence

Question 11

Scape

Answer 11

a leafless flowering stalk (plants with a scape are said to be scapose)

Question 12

Solitary flower

Answer 12

may be either terminal or axillary

Question 13

Spike

Answer 13

an elongate unbranched inflorescence of sessile flowers

Question 14

Spikelet

Answer 14

a small spike, especially one in which the flowers are inconspicuous and mostly hidden by bracts

Question 15

Spadix

Answer 15

a spike with a thick, fleshy axis in which the flowers are ± embedded; often associated with a spathe (this is the charac- teristic inflorescence of the Arum family)

Question 16

Catkin

Answer 16

a spike composed of small, imperfect, usually apetalous flowers that is typically deciduous as a unit (also called an ament)

Question 17

Head (Capitulum)

Answer 17

a dense spherical or rounded inflorescence of sessile flowers

Question 18

Helicoid Cyme

Answer 18

a one-sided coiled inflorescence resembling a fiddlehead or

scorpion’s tail; common in the borage family (also called a scorpioid cyme)

Question 19

Verticel

Answer 19

an axillary whorl of flowers radiating indifferent directions

Question 20

Raceme

Answer 20

an elongate inflorescence of pedicellate flowers

Question 21

Umbel

Answer 21

a flat-topped or rounded inflor- escence in which all of the pedicels arise from a common point at the apex of the peduncle

Question 22

Dichasium

Answer 22

a cluster of three flowers on a common peduncle, the central flower being the oldest (also called a simple cyme)

Question 23

Panicle

Answer 23

an inflorescence with a central axis that bears branches that are themselves branched

Question 24

vestiture

Answer 24

The surfaces of stems, leaves and other plant parts are often covered with different types of hairs; these various surface coverings are referred to as vestiture
At least sixty different terms exist to describe the different types of hairs that may cover the body of a plant

Question 25

We will simplify matters by recognizing three different vestiture conditions: Glabrous Pubescent Glabrate

Answer 25

Glabrous – lacking any covering of hairs Pubescent – having a covering of hairs of any sort Glabrate – pubescent at first but becoming glabrous with age