176 Botany

1. The raceme is the commonest indefinite inflor-
escence. The flowers, as in the foxglove and towai
(Weinmannia racemosa), are arranged singly on
pedicels along a central peduncle.

2. Panicle. Where the flowering axis is branched,
as in the cabbage tree (Cordyline) and the oat, the
inflorescence is a panicle.

3. A corymb differs from a raceme in the fact that
the pedicels of the lower flowers are lengthened to
bring all the flowers to the same level, and so form a
flat surface suitable for an insect to walk upon. This
form of inflorescence is well seen in the candytuft, and
appears in some of the native species of cardamine.
4. The spike is like a raceme in which the pedicels
have disappeared, the flowers all being sessile on the
peduncle. This is well seen in the plantains both native
and introduced.

5. A catkin differs from a spike in being unisexual.
Male flowers are sessile on one flowering axis and
female on another, which may be on the same plant,
as in the hazel, or on another plant as in the willow
and kawakawa (Piper excelsum).

6. The spadix is seen in the arum. Small male
flowers are situated on the upper, and female flowers
on the lower part of the fleshy axis. It is like the body
that would be formed by the union of two catkins with
the male above.

7. Umbel. In an umbel, the flowers all spring from
the apex of the peduncle, the pedicels meeting at that
point. This is well seen in the cowslip. The compound
umbel appears in the panax as well as the parsnip,
carrot and most members of that family.

8 Head. In the head or capitulum the end of the
peduncle carries a broad flaattened receptacle on which
are situated numerous sessile flowers. This is seen in
the daisy, clover, and piri-piri (bidi-bidi). What is
popularly regarded as the flower is really an inflor-