This document defines and describes different types of inflorescences (arrangements of flowers on a floral axis). It discusses solitary flowers, simple and compound inflorescences, racemose and cymose arrangements, and specific types including racemes, corymbs, umbels, spikes, catkins, heads, and more. Diagrams and examples are provided to illustrate the different inflorescence structures found across plant species.

1. INFLORESCENCE

2. INFLORESCENCE
THE ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS ON
FLORAL AXIS IS TERMED AS
INFLORESCENCE

3. SOLITARY FLOWER
THIS IS THE SINGLE FLOWER , IT MAY
BE
1: TERMINAL
2: AXILLARY

4. SIMPLE
INFLORESCENCE
ACCORDING TO ITS MODE OF
BRANCHING, IT HAS TWO TYPES
1: RACEMOSE INFLORESCENCE
2: CYMOSE INFLORESCENCE

5. RACEMOSE
INFLORESCENCE
THE MAIN AXIS CONTINUE TO GROW
UNTIL THE LAST FLOWER IS FORMED
AT THE APEX
THE FLOWERS MAY BE
a) ACROPETAL SUCCESSION :
OLDEST FLOWER ARE TOWARDS
THE BASE, AND THE YOUNGEST
ARE TOWARDS THE APEX
b) CENTRIPETAL SUCCESSION
:OLDEST FLOWERS ARE TOWARDS
THE PERIPHERY AND YOUNGEST
ARE TOWARDS THE CENTER

6. CYMOSE
INFLORESCENCE
THE MAIN AXIS SOON ENDS IN A
FLOWER
THERE IS A
1: BASIPETAL SUCCESSION
THE TERMINAL FLOWER IS THE
OLDEST FLOWER AND LATERAL ARE
YOUNGER
2: CENTRIFUGAL SUCCESSION : THE
YOUNG FLOWERS ARE TOWARDS THE
PERIPHERY AND THE OLDER ONES
TOWARDS THE CENTER

7. RACEMOSE
INFLORESCENCE
IT IS DIVIDED INTO
1: MAIN AXIS LONG
2: MAIN AXIS SHORT AND FLATTENED

8. MAIN AXIS LONG
IT CAN BE DIVIDED INTO
1: SIMPLE RACEME
2: CORYMB
3: CORYMBOSE RACEME
4: SPIKE
5: SPIKELET
7: CATKIN
8: SPADIX

9. 1: SIMPLE RACEME
MAIN AXIS ELONGATED
FLOWERS PEDICELLATE
PEDICELL IS OF THE SAME SIZE
EXAMPLE : LARKSPUR

10. 2: CORYMB
MAIN AXIS COMPARATIVELY SHORT
FLOWERS PEDICELLATE
THE PEDICELL OF THE OLDER FLOWER
IS LONGER THE YOUNGER FLOWERS
AL FLOWERS LIE AT THE SAME LEVEL
EXAMPLE : IBERIS ( CANDYTUFT)

11. 3: CORYMBOSE
RACEME
BRASSICA
IT IS CORYMBOSE IN FLOWERING
STAGE BUT LATER BECOMES SIMPLE
RACEME

12. 4: SPIKE
THE MAIN AXIS ELONGATED
SESSILE FLOWERS
EXAMPLE : VERBENA, BOTTLE BRUSH

13. 5: SPIKELET
SMALL DRY SPIKES, HAVING ONLY
ONE OR A FEW SESSILE FLOWERS
SURROUNDED BY SPECIAL BRACTS AT
THE BASE CALLED GLUMES.
EXAMPLE: GRASSES, WHEAT, OAT,
ETC

14. 6: CATKIN
IT IS A PENDULOUS SPIKE WITH
PENDULOUS AXIS BEARING UNISEXUAL
FLOWERS
EXAMPLE: MULBERRY . POPLAR

15. 7: SPADIX
BRANCHED OR UNBRANCHED THICK
FLESHY SPIKE ENCLOSED IN ONE OR
MORE BRACTS, CALLED SPATHE
EXAMPLE : BANANA , PALM PRESENT
ONLY IN MONOCOTS

18. MAIN AXIS SHORT
AND FLATTENED
IT HAS FOLLOWING TYPES
1: SIMPLE UMBEL
2: CAPITULUM
3: HYPANTHODIUM

19. 1:SIMPLE UMBEL
MAIN AXIS ABOVE THE FIRST FLOWER
IS SHORT
INTERNODES BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE
FLOWERS IS SUPPRESSED
ALL THE FLOWERS ARE PEDICELLATE
PRESENT AT THE TIP OF THE MAIN
AXIS .
OLDER LEAVES ARE TOWARDS THE
PERIPHERY
EXAMPLE: CHERRY, IVY

20. CAPITULUM
THE MAIN AXIS IS REDUCED TO
CONCAVE AND CONVEX DISC CALLED
RECEPTACLE
THE FLOWERS ARE SMALL AND ARE
CALLED FLORETS
THE INFLORESCENCE ARE CROWDED IN
THE UPPER SURFACE AND WHOLE
INFLORESCENCE LOOKS LIKE A SINGLE
FLOWER
THE YOUNG FLOWERS ARE IN THE
CENTER AND OLDER FLOWERS ARE ON
PERIPHERY
THERE IS INVOLUCRE : THESE ARE THE
OVERLAPPING BRACTS THAT
SURROUNDS THE RECEPTACLE

21. TYPES OF
CAPITULUM
HOMOGAMOUS : ALL FLOWERS ARE
OF SAME SIZE , AND THEY ARE
LIGULATE ( STAR SHAPED) AND
BISEXUAL E.G. SONCHUS
HETEROGAMOUS: FLOWERS ARE OF
TWO TYPES, E.G. IN SUN FLOWER:
HAVING RAY FLORETS AND DISC
FLORETS CONTAINING LIGULATE
PISTILLATE AND NEUTER , E.G.
COMPOSITAE FAMILY

22. HYPANTHODIUM
THE RECEPTACLE FORMS A HOLLOW
PEAR SHAPED STRUCTURE, HAVING
AN APICAL OPENING GUARDED BY
SCALES
THE HOLLOW RECEPTACLE CONTAINS
UNISEXUAL FLOWERS IN THE CENTER
THE MALE FLOWERS ARE AT THE APEX
FEMALES FLOWERS ARE PRESENT AT
REST OF THE RECEPTACLE
EXAMPLE: FIG, BANYAN, PEPAL

23. CYMOSE
INFLORESCENCE
UNIPAROUS
BIPAROUS
MULTIPAROUS

24. 1: UNIPAROUS
CYME
WHEN A SINGLE DAUGHTER AXIS IS
PRODUCED BELOW THE TERMINAL
FLOWER. IT HAS FOLLOWING TYPES
SCORPOID CYME :
HELICOID CYME

25. A) SCORPOID
CYME

26. B) HELICOID CYME
EXAMPLE BEGONIA

27. 2: BIPAROUS CYME
IN THIS TYPE, THE MAIN AXIS ENDS IN
FLOWER AND PRODUCES TWO
DAUGHTER AXES
EXAMPLE: STELLARIA MEDIA,
IPOMEA

28. MULTIPAROUS
CYME
THE MAIN AXIS PRODUCES MORE
THEN TWO DAUGHTER AXIS
EXAMPLE: CALOTROPIS, EUPHORBIA
LOOKS LIKE AN UMBEL BUT IT CAN BE
DISTINGUISHED BY THE OPENING OF
THE MIDDLE FLOWER FIRST

29. COMPOUND
INFLORESCENCE
THE MAIN AXIS IS BRANCHED AND
BEARS FLOWERS, IN THE SAME
MANNER AND ON THE MAIN AXIS
IT MAY BE OF FOLLOWING TYPES:
1: COMPOUND RACEME
2:COMPOUND CORYMB
3:COMPOUND UMBEL
COMPOUND SPIKE

30. COMPOUND
RACEME
THERE ARE SEVERAL RACEMES BORN
IN RACEME MANNER ON THE MAIN
AXIS
EXAMPLE: DELPHINIUM AJACIS

31. COMPOUND
CORYMB
THE MAIN AXIS IS BRANCHED AND
BEARS A NUMBER OF CORYMBOSE
EXAMPLE: CAULIFLOWER ( PHOOL
GHOOBI)

32. COMPOUND
UMBEL
THE INFLORESCENCE BEAR A NUMBER
OF UMBELLATE MANNER AT THE TIP
OF THE MAIN AXIS

33. COMPOUND SPIKE
THE MAIN AXIS BEARS A NUMBER OF
SESSILE LATERAL SPIKES CALLED
SPIKELETS
: EACH COMPRISING OF ONE TO FEW
FLOWERS AND ENCLOSED IN
SPECIALIZED BRACTS. E.G.. AVENA
SATIVA ( BARLEY ) TRITICUM ( WHEAT)

34. SPECIAL
INFLORESCENCECYATHIUM ,
VERTICILLASTER ,
SCAPIGEROUS OR
UMBELLATE CYMOSE HEAD,
CYMOSE HEAD,

35. CYATHIUM
THE MAIN AXIS ENDS IN REDUCED
FLOWER,
THE FLOWER IS TRICARPELLARY,
SYNCARPOUS BORNE AT THE END OF
LONG PEDICEL
FIVE SCORPOID CYMOSE CLUSTERS
OF REDUCED MALE FLOWER
SURROUND THE STALK OF FEMALE
FLOWER
EACH MALE FLOWER CONSISTS OF
SINGLE STAMEN, AND SCALY BRACT
PERIANTH LEAVES ARE COMPLETELY
SUPPRESSED , AND FLOWER ARE
ENCLOSED IN CUP SHAPED
INVOLUCRE
E.G EUPHORBIA

36. VERTICILLASTER
CONDENSED CYMOSE
INFLORESCENCE
THE CLUSTERS OF FLOWERS ARE
BORNE IN THE AXILS OF OPPOSITE
DECUSSATE BRACTS
THE CLUSTERS OF FLOWERS AT THE
NODE FORM A WHORL CALLED
VERTICILLASTER
THE CLUSTERS OF FLOWERS POSSES
BIGAMOUS (2 SEXES) CYMOSE
ARRANGEMENT FIRST BUT LATER
BECOMES UNIPAROUS DUE TO
SUPPRESSION OF GROWTH ON
DAUGHTER AXIS
E.G OCIMUM ( NIAZBO) , SALVIA,
MINT ETC

37. SCAPIGEROUS OR
UMBELLATE CYMOSE
IN ONION THE FLOWERS ARE BORNE
AT THE END OF LONG LEAFLESS
STALK CALLED AS SCAPE ( LONG
INTERNODE) THAT ARISE IN THE MID
OF THE RADICAL LEAVES
THE FLOWERS ARE ARRANGED IN
MANY HELICOID CYMOSE CLUSTERS
THE INFLORESCENCE APPEARS AS AN
UMBEL, SO IT IS CALLED
UMBELLATE CYMOSE HEAD
E.G IN INION

39. CYMOSE HEAD
IN ACACIA ( KIKAR) AND ALBEZIA (
SHIRIN) THE FLOWERS ARE ARRANGED
IN CLUSTERS FORMING A HEAD,
EACH CLUSTER IS A SCORPOID IN
WHICH THE MAIN AXIS AND
SUCCESSIVE DAUGHTER AXIS HAVE
BEEN REDUCED AND THE FLOWERS
ARE ALMOST SESSILE

40. KIKAR

41. ALBEZIA LEBBECK