Flowers

An inflorescence is the arrangement of flowers on the flowering stem.

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 Flowers
Typical parts of an inflorescence include the peduncle, pedicels,
bracts and bractlets.

Peduncle is the stalk holding a

solitary flower or supporting the
inflorescence.

Pedicels are the stalks supporting

each flower in the inflorescence.

Pedicles Bracts are modified leaf-like

structures that subtend (just
Bracts
Peduncle below) an inflorescence.

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 Flowers
Typical parts of an inflorescence include the peduncle, pedicels,
bracts and bractlets.

Bractlets or bracteoles are

secondary bracts usually found in
the interior of the inflorescence.

Pedicles
Bractlets
Peduncle

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 Flowers
There is a pattern to flower opening that is characteristic of some types
of inflorescences.
1 2 3 4 3 2 1

3
4 4
3
Centripetal flowering occurs in
2 2 indeterminate inflorescences
1 1 where the outer flowers open
first and the innermost
flowers last.

2 3 1 3 1 Centrifugal flowering occurs in

3 3
4 4
2 determinate inflorescences
4 2
4 4 2 4 where the innermost flower
4
4
4 4
opens first followed by the
4
3 3 next outer flower. The
3 4 3
outermost flower opens last.
Numbers indicate the order of flowering.

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 Flowers
Inflorescence types
Racemic Special forms

Solitary Spike Raceme Capitulum Spadix Catkin

Umbel Corymb Panicle Thyrse Verticillaster Spikelet

Cymic

Cyathium

Cyme

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 Flowers
Solitary
Flowers are solitary when a single flower is terminal on the peduncle.

Bracts

Peduncle
Sweet white trillium Kentucky ladyslipper
Trillium simile Cypripedium kentuckiense

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 Flowers
Spike
A spike is an elongated inflorescence similar to a raceme except the flowers
lack pedicels. Flowers that adhere directly to the rachis without a pedicel are
termed sessile flowers. Flowers open from the base to the top in an ascending
pattern.
Prairie clover
Petalostemum

Rachis Sessile
flowers

Bracts
Rachis
Bractlets
Peduncle
Peduncle
Inflorescence split to expose sessile flowers on the rachis.

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 Flowers
Spike
Japanese spurge produces a terminal spike of flowers without petals. The
showy white flowers are stamens. Because its spike is more often you can see
how each individual flower is sessile at its attachment to the rachis.

Japanese spurge
Pacysandra terminalis

Rachis

Bractlets

Peduncle

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Spike
Plaintains produce elongated spikes with many flowers tightly packed together.
Each small flower has papery petals and sepals with protruding white stamens
that open sequentially from the base of the spike to the top.

Plantain Plantain
Plantago lanceolata Plantago major

Stamens

Petals

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Spike
Ground cone and squaw root are parasitic plants that do not produce leaves.
They attach to the roots of nearby plants for survival. Once per year the
spikes emerge from the ground to allow the flowers to be pollinated and seed
to be produced.

Ground cone broomrape Squaw root

Boschniakia rossica Conopholis americana

Flower

Bractlets

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
A capitulum or head is a round to flat topped cluster of flowers
(inflorescence) containing many individual stalkless (sessile) flowers arranged
around a receptacle. It is similar to a spike that has been reduced in length.
Bracts when present often form an involucre surrounding the receptacle.
Sea holly Eryngium tripartitum Torch ginger
Etlingera elatior

Bracts
Receptacle
Involucre
Peduncle

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
A capitulum or head in members of the composite family (Asteraceae) are
round or roundish and contain many stalkless (sessile) flowers arranged around
a receptacle. The heads can be made up of combinations of ray and disk
florets. Ray flowers have a strap-like petal while disk flowers are tubular.

Ray floret

Receptacle

Bracts
Peduncle
Disk floret

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
Ray florets are usually larger and showier than disk florets but each can have
both male and female parts. In a mixed head of ray and disk florets, the outer
ray florets are usually sterile or female only. Each floret has fused petals and
a pappus. Pappas are modified sepals of awns, scales or bristles.

Ray floret Disk floret

Ray florets Disk florets
Petal Style

Pappus
Ovary
Zinnia

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Capitulum (Head)
In Stokes aster , it is clear in the ray floret that what appears to be a single
petal is actually five petals fused together. This type of ray floret with five
defined teeth is termed ligulate. The pappas occur as bristles.
Ray florets Disk florets

Ray floret

Disk
floret

ovary
Receptacle Pappus
Stokes aster Stokesia laevis
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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
Stokes aster also clearly shows another characteristic of the composite
family. This is the grouping of numerous bracts that subtend and surround the
flower head as an involucre.

Disk florets

Ray floret Involucre

Bracts

Peduncle Receptacle

Stokes aster Stokesia laevis

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
The cone in purple coneflower is an
outgrowth of the bracts as spines. See the
disk flowers between the pigmented spines.
These differ from a pappas because they
arise from the receptacle rather than at the
base of the petals on each floret.
Disk floret
Bract (spine)
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea

Receptacle

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
In some plants the pappus elongates and
acts like a parachute for wind dispersal of
the achene. This arrangement of specialized
sepals (pappas) and achene is called a
cypsella.

Cypsella

Pappus

Achene

Ovary
Goats beard (Tragopogon)

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
Flowering heads show centripetal flowering where the outer flowers open first
and the innermost flowers last. In the examples below, the innermost flowers
have yet to open.

Gerbera daisy (Gerbera) Lavender cotton (Santolina)

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
Not all composite flowers have both ray and disk flowers. Some are comprised
of all ray or all disk flowers.

Ox eye daisy (Heliopsis) Lavender cotton (Santolina) Dandelion (Taraxacum)

Zinnia

Ray and disk florets Disk florets only Ray florets only
Radiate head Discoid head Ligulate head

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
Within a species, a typical head of mixed ray and disk florets can show a
change to all ray florets as seen in sunflower.

Sunflower Helianthus annuus

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
In Chrysanthemum you can see some of the diversity of colors, petal
types and ray / disk floret combinations selected for from breeders.

Pompon

Double

Semi-
double
Single

Chrysanthemum Dendranthemum morifolium

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 Flowers
Capitulum (Head)
In Chrysanthemum ray floret petals can fuse to form spoons.

Spoon

Chrysanthemum Dendranthemum morifolium

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 Flowers
Raceme
A raceme is an elongated flowering stem with single flowers arranged on
pedicels at different points on the peduncle. Each flower usually opens
sequentially in a pattern of flowering from the base to the tip called ascending
flowering.

Shinleaf Pyrola asarifolia

Rachis
Rachis
Pedicle

Bractlets
Bractlets

Pedicle Peduncle Peduncle

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Raceme
It is common for individual flowers in a raceme to spiral around the rachis in
open to dense clusters.

Bishops cap Ornamental ginger Bears Breeches Hyacinth orchid

Mitella Alpinia Acanthus
Arpophyllum

Open to more dense.

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 Flowers
Raceme
Racemes can be easily confused with spikes because the dense clusters of
flowers can obscure the pedicel.
Spike Prairie clover Raceme Red hot poker
Petalostemum Kniphofia

No
pedicle Pedicle

Inflorescence split to expose Inflorescence split to expose

sessile flowers on the rachis. pedicels on the rachis.

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Raceme
Racemes may be held upright usually above the foliage.

Cherry laurel Foamflower False indigo

Prunus laurocerasus Tiarella cordifolia Baptisia hybrid

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Raceme
Racemes can also be pendulous (hanging down).
Dendrobium orchid Stachyurus Yellowwood

Dendrobium thyrisflorum Stachyurus praecox Cladrastis kentuckea

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Raceme
Pendulous racemes can be very long and ornamental many over 12 inches long.
Jade vine Japanese wisteria Thunbergia

Strongylodon macrobotrys Wisteria floribunda Thunbergia mysorensis

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Raceme
Gayfeather is an exception to the ascending flowering observed in most spike and
racemic inflorescences. Its flowering pattern is descending with the first flowers
opening at the top of the inflorescence. This probably is an adaptation to attract
pollinators in dense prairie ecosystems.

Faded flowers

Flowers in bud

Gayfeather
LIatris

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 Flowers
Umbel - Simple
An umbel is a cluster of flowers with the pedicels all emerging from the same
point on the peduncle. Pedicel length is the same for each flower and
therefore flowers open on the same or nearly same plane. The outside flowers
open first and the innermost last. This is called centripetal flowering.

Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa

Pedicles

Bracts
Pedicles
Bracts
Peduncle
Peduncle

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 Flowers
Umbel - Compound Golden Alexanders Ziizia aurea
A compound umbel has numerous umbels
radiating from a single point on the peduncle
from secondary peduncles. It is a common
form in the carrot family (Apiaceae).

Meadow parsnip Thaspium barbinode

Pedicles
Bractlets
Secondary
peduncle
Bracts
Peduncle

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Umbel
Umbels may appear flat-topped or rounded.
Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Queen Annes lace Daucus carota

Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa

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 Flowers
Corymb
A Corymb is a cluster of flowers with the pedicels emerging from different
points on the peduncle. Pedicel length differs for each flower therefore they
open on nearly the same flat plane. The outside flowers open first and the
innermost last. This is called centripetal flowering.

Candytuft Iberis sempervirens

Rachis
Rachis Pedicles Bractlets
Pedicles
Bractlets
Peduncle
Peduncle

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Panicle
A panicle is an elongated flowering stem with branched peduncles. Individual
flowers mature in an ascending pattern (bottom upwards).

Fuzzy Deutzia False Solomons seal

Deutzia scabra Smilacina racemosa
Cherry laurel
Pedicles

Rachis

Pedicle Bractlets Secondary

peduncle Peduncle
Secondary
peduncle Peduncle

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Panicle
Black cohosh nicely shows that individual branches of the panicle are made from
racemes with individual flowers on pedicels that open in an ascending pattern.

Open flowers
Flower buds

Secondary Pedicel
peduncle Pedicel

Peduncle
Black cohosh Cimicifuga racemosa

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Panicle
A panicle is often described as a branched raceme. However in the broad sense,
each branch in the panicle may contain spikes, racemes, umbels or corymbs.

Spikes Racemes Umbels Corymbs

Corn Zea mays Japanese pieris Angelica tree Aralia elata Amur maple Acer ginnala
Pieris japonica

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Spadix
A spadix is a specialized spike inflorescence found in some monocots consisting
of a swollen pedicel with many small flowers. Members of the Arum family
produce an enlarged bract called a spathe that partially covers the spadix.

Swiss cheese plant

Spathe
(enlarged bract)

Spadix

Mostera deliciosa

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Spadix
The flowers may be unisexual or bisexual. Spadix with unisexual flowers
usually have male flowers produced on the upper end of the spadix with
females produced at the base.

Caladium
Spathe

Male
flowers Male
flowers
Spadix

Female flowers
Female flowers

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Spadix
Flamingo flower (Anthurium andraeanum) and peace lily (Sathiphyllum) the flowers
are bisexual (male and female) and produced along the entire spadix length.

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Golden club
Spadix

Not all plants with a spadix have a

spathe. Golden club is adapted to a water
environment and the flowers are
produced above the floating leaves. Each
flower within the spadix is bisexual.

Orontium aquaticum

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Spadix
In some aroids, the spathe can form elaborate hoods over the spadix.

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Arisaema triphyllum Arisaema sikokianum Arisaema ringens

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Spadix
Aroids can produce some of the most unique flowers with large spathes.

Devils tongue Dragon arum

Arisaema triphyllum Amorphophallus konjac Dracunculus vulgaris

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 Flowers

Spadix Yellow skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbages are interesting because

they have a process for generating heat
using a form of alternative respiration.
The heat melts the snow around them to
aid in early emergence in the spring.

Lysichiton americanus

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 Flowers
Spikelets
Spikes are a common inflorescence form for grasses. Individual flowers in the
spike are spikelets. Spikelets are flowers with two bracts (called glumes in
grasses).

Bracts

Peduncle
Various grass species Wheat
with spikes Triticum

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Spikelets
Grass spikelets have two bracts (glumes) subtending the floret. The floret
consists of one or two subtending lemma (also a bract) that can have an awn at
the tip. Above the lemma is an inner bract called the palea. The flower lacks
sepals and petals. These have been replaced by small lodicles.
Lodicles expand to separate the palea
Spikelet and lemma to expose the sexual parts
for pollination.
Anther
Stigma
Awn
Palea
Lodicles
Ovary
Lemma
Rachilla
Palea
Second
Glume
First Glume Floret

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 Flowers
Spikelets

Awn
Anther
Stigma

Palea
Ovary
Lemma
Rachilla

Second
Glume
First Glume

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Spikelets
Florets may be bisexual (male and female parts together) or unisexual (either
male or female separate). In corn the males are in the upper part of the plant
with the females below in a separate inflorescence.

Sweet corn
Anthers
Zea mays
Stigmas

Male flowers
Female flowers

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Spikelets
In eastern gamagrass the males are in the upper part of the spike with the
females below in the same inflorescence.

Eastern gamagrass
Tripsacum
Stigmas

Male flowers

Female flowers

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Catkin
Catkins may be male or female, but the males are usually larger because they
have more individual flowers. They are wind pollinated and usually open prior to
or with the leaves in spring. Catkins can be made up of many individual flowers
arranged as a spike, panicle or cyme.

Peduncle Bracts

Rachis

Corkscrew hazel Arctic willow

Corylus avellana Salix reticulata

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Catkin
Male catkins are typical in nut crops.

Rachis

Bracts

Black walnut Red oak Chinese chestnut

Juglans nigra Quercus rubra Castanea mollisima

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Catkin
Male and female catkins in river birch (Betula nigra).

Male Female

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Cyme - Simple
A cyme is a determinate inflorescence where each pedicle ends in a terminal
flower. Flowering is centrifugal where the innermost flower opens first
followed by the next outer flower. Cymes can be have single (Monochasia)
pedicels, double (Dichasia) or multiple (Polychasia) branched pedicels.

Monochasia Dichasia

Pedicle
Pedicle Bractlets
Bractlets

Peduncle Peduncle

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 Flowers
Cyme - Simple
A cyme is a determinate inflorescence where each pedicle ends in a terminal
flower. Flowering is centrifugal where the innermost flower opens first
followed by the next outer flower. Cymes can be have single (Monochasia)
pedicels, double (Dichasia) or multiple (Polychasia) branched pedicels.

Monochasia Twinflower

Pedicle
Peduncle
Pedicle
Bractlets

Bracts
Peduncle
Linnaea borealis

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Cyme - Simple
A cyme is a determinate inflorescence where each pedicle ends in a terminal
flower. Flowering is centrifugal where the innermost flower opens first
followed by the next outer flower. Cymes can be have single (Monochasia)
pedicels, double (Dichasia) or multiple (Polychasia) branched pedicels.

Dichasia Columbine

Pedicle
Pedicle Bractlets Bractlets

Peduncle
Bracts
Peduncle
Aquilegia

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Cyme - Compound
A compound cyme (termed a dichasium or polychasium) has pedicels that
branch to form additional pedicels with terminal flowers.
Soapwort

Dichasium Sapanaria

Polychasium

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Cyme - Cincinnus
A cincinnus is a monochasic cyme with single alternating pedicels branches
with terminal flowers.
Bird-of-paradise

Strelitzia reginae

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Cyme - Rhipidium
A rhipidium is a monochasic cyme with single alternating pedicels branches
with terminal flowers finishing on the same plane.

Begonia

Begonia

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Cyme Helicoid (Drepanium)
A helicoid (also drepanium) is a monochasic cyme with single pedicel branches
with terminal flowers arranged in a coiled pattern. Often described as
resembling a scorpions tail.
Tomato

Solanum Tournfortia

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Thryse
A thyrse is a cylindrical densely branched panicle composed of numerous
cymes.

Red horsechestnut Aesculus x carnea

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Thryse
In oakleaf hydrangea, outside cymes are a combination of small fertile flowers
and a terminal sterile flower with showy white sepals.

Panicle hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata

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Verticillaster
Whorls of paired axillary dichasia cymes with bracts directly under the
flowers repeating along the rachis.

Yellow archangel Motherwort

Bracts

Lamium galeobodolon Leonurus cardiaca

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 Flowers
Cyanthium
Cyathia are unique to the Euphorbia family (Euphorbiaceae). They are cup-
shaped flowers formed by a involucre bracts. There are often prominent
glands surrounding or to one side of the extended ovary. There are numerous
stamens and a single ovary in each flower.

Stamens Ovary Nectar glands

Stamens

Nectar
glands
Ovary

Euphorbia myrsintes
Bracts

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Cyanthium
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) has a very large nectar gland and colorful
bracts that mimic petals to form what is often called a false flower because
the petals are lacking or reduced.

Ovary

Stamen

Nectar
glands

Bracts

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