inflorescence

inflorescencetop left to right: umbel and corymbbottom left to right: panicle and raceme

in·flo·res·cence

I0132600 (ĭn′flə-rĕs′əns)n.1. A cluster of flowers arranged in a characteristic way on a stem.2. The process of flowering.

[New Latin īnflōrēscentia, from Late Latin īnflōrēscēns, īnflōrēscent-, present participle of īnflōrēscere, to begin to flower : Latin in-, intensive pref.; see in-² + Latin flōrēscere, to begin to blossom; see florescence.]

in′flo·res′cent adj.

inflorescence

(ˌɪnflɔːˈrɛsəns) n1. (Botany) the part of a plant that consists of the flower-bearing stalks2. (Botany) the arrangement of the flowers on the stalks3. (Botany) the process of flowering; blossoming[C16: from New Latin inflōrēscentia, from Late Latin inflōrescere to blossom, from flōrescere to bloom] ˌinfloˈrescent adj

in•flo•res•cence

(ˌɪn flɔˈrɛs əns, -floʊ-, -flə-)

n. 1. a flowering or blossoming. 2. a. the arrangement of flowers on the axis or stem. b. the flowering part of a plant. c. a flower cluster. d. flowers collectively. [1750–60; < New Latin inflōrēscentia < Late Latin inflōrēscent-, s. of inflōrēscēns, present participle of inflōrēscere to begin to blossom (see in-², florescence) + Latin -ia -ia] in`flo•res′cent, adj.

inflorescencetop left: umbeltop right: corymbbottom left: paniclebottom right: raceme

in·flo·res·cence

(ĭn′flə-rĕs′əns) A group of flowers growing from a common stem, often in a characteristic arrangement.

inflorescence

A flowering shoot.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	inflorescence - the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossomsanthesis, blossoming, florescence, flowering, efflorescencegrowing, growth, ontogenesis, ontogeny, maturation, development - (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level; "he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children"
	2.	inflorescence - the flowering part of a plant or arrangement of flowers on a stalkblossom, flower, bloom - reproductive organ of angiosperm plants especially one having showy or colorful partsflower head - a shortened compact cluster of flowers so arranged that the whole gives the effect of a single flower as in clover or members of the family Compositaeament, catkin - a cylindrical spikelike inflorescenceumbel - flat-topped or rounded inflorescence characteristic of the family Umbelliferae in which the individual flower stalks arise from about the same point; youngest flowers are at the centercorymb - flat-topped or convex inflorescence in which the individual flower stalks grow upward from various points on the main stem to approximately the same height; outer flowers open firstflower cluster - an inflorescence consisting of a cluster of flowerscyme - more or less flat-topped cluster of flowers in which the central or terminal flower opens firstspike - (botany) an indeterminate inflorescence bearing sessile flowers on an unbranched axisbract - a modified leaf or leaflike part just below and protecting an inflorescence

Translations

inflorescence

1. the part of a plant that consists of the flower-bearing stalks 2. the arrangement of the flowers on the stalks 3. the process of flowering; blossoming

Inflorescence

A flower cluster segregated from any other flowers on the same plant, together with the stems and bracts (reduced leaves) associated with it. Certain plants produce inflorescences, whereas others produce only solitary flowers. See Flower

Inflorescence

the flower-bearing part of the annual shoot of a plant. An inflorescence consists of a more or less complexly branched system of axes and flowers that develop in the bracteal axils. The classification of inflorescences is for the most part artificial; they are usually said to be simple or compound, depending on the order of the axes (one or two, two or three, or more) that bear the flowers.

Simple inflorescences include those that are botryose (raceme, corymb, spike, ament, spadix, umbel, capitulum, head) and those that are cymose (simple pleiochasium, dichasium, mono-chasium). Botryose inflorescences are marked by monopodial branching and acropetal opening of flowers; cymose inflorescences, contrastingly, are characterized by sympodial branching and basipetal opening of flowers.

Compound inflorescences are divided into homogeneous, heterogeneous, and mixed inflorescences. In homogeneous compound inflorescences the initial branching and all subsequent branching are the same type (compound raceme, compound umbel, compound spike, compound pleiochasium, compound dichasium, compound monochasium). Heterogeneous compound inflorescences consist of combinations of various types within the botryose (a panicle of spikes, a capitulum of heads) or cymose group (a pleiochasium of dichasia, a dichasium of monochasia). Mixed inflorescences are combinations of botryose and cymose inflorescences (a pleiochasium of heads, a dichasium of racemes, an umbel of monochasia).

In constructing a morphogenetic classification of inflorescences not only shape and structure are taken into account but also the paths of development, principal among which are an increase in the number of lateral shoots, the formation of special inflorescences, the underdevelopment of leaves, the conversion of middle leaves into apical ones, the loss of the apical flower, a change from basipetal to acropetal flowering, and a shortening of lateral and principal axes.

Some botanists consider the compound pleiochasium to be the most primitive inflorescence, that is, the one from which all others developed by means of simplification of branching. Others view the inflorescence as having derived from a solitary terminal flower. The evolution of inflorescences has led to an increase in the total number of flowers on a shoot, a decrease in flower size, and the uniting of flowers into compact groups (anthodia) resembling a single flower with distinct differentiation of functions among certain flowers (larkspur, fig, spurge) and adaptation to special conditions and certain agents of pollination that ensure seed formation. The transition from simple descriptions of external appearance (spikelike, pyramidal) and from the use of indefinite collective types (panicle, thyrse) to the elucidation of structural differences has had great significance in plant systematics, making it possible to judge the directions of evolution of closely related systematic groups and increasing the number of differential characters.

REFERENCES

Kaden, N. N. “Soplodiia i sotsvetiia.” Vestnik MGU. Seriia fiziko-matematicheskikh i estestvennykh nauk, 1951, no. 6.
Botanika, 7th ed., vol. 1. Edited by L. V. Kudriashov. Moscow, 1966.
Troll, W. Die lnfloreszenzen, vols. 1–2 (part 1). Jena, 1964–69.

N. N. KADEN

inflorescence

[‚in·flə′res·əns] (botany) A flower cluster segregated from any other flowers on the same plant, together with the stems and bracts (reduced leaves) associated with it.

inflorescence

in·flo·res·cence

inflorescence

in•flo•res•cence

in·flo·res·cence

inflorescence

inflorescence

inflorescence

Inflorescence

Inflorescence

REFERENCES

inflorescence

inflorescence

inflorescence

inflorescence

Synonyms for inflorescence

noun the time and process of budding and unfolding of blossoms

Synonyms

Related Words

noun the flowering part of a plant or arrangement of flowers on a stalk

Related Words