Types of inflorescences

THE FLOWER: INFLORESCENCES

Flowers do not appear solitary in a stem. They are generally arranged in a fixed pattern we call inflorescence. Flowers included in the inflorescence are generally called florets. Inflorescences can be:

Single: when all the flowers are gathered in the same single pattern.

Compound: when a complex pattern is made of another single patterns.

Main single inflorescences

• In racemes florets are attached along a floral peduncle with stems similar in length. Young florets appear above and old ones below.
• Spikes are inflorescences similar to racemes, but florets are attached directly to the floral peduncle, without stems.

See image of a spike: Mint – Mentha rotundifolia

• In corymbs. all the florets are arranged along a floral peduncle but, differently to racemes, stems have different length in such a way that all the florets appear at the same flat round level.
• In umbels florets arise from the same point of the peduncle.
• In heads florets bearing no stem are gathered together on a platform-shaped peduncle. This is the inflorescence characteristic in the daisy family.

See image of a head: Milk thistle-Sylibum Marianum

Main compound inflorescences

• Panicles are formed by several racemes gathered together.
• Compound umbels are formed by several umbels gathered together.

Questions about inflorescences

Choose the correct answer:

Which kind of inflorescence this daisy is?

An umbel

A head

Correct!

A spike

The flower above is an inflorescence...

Compound

Special

-Single

Correct!

Go back to according to the calyx

  To know more about “The flowers”

More information about plants.

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

22 March, 2022