Spike inflorescence

Ament (Catkin) A racemose inflorescence consisting of a close, bracted spike, usually deciduous when mature, bearing many unisexual apetalous flowers. 

Spike An inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile along the axis. 

Fig. 90.—Types of indeterminate inflorescence. A, A raceme B, a spike C, a catkin D, a corymb E, an umbel. The flowers are represented by circles the age of the flower is indicated by the size. From Hamaker.)...

Inflorescences dioecious spikes, so on separate plants. Staminate spikes forming deciduous catkins of yellowish flowers, pistillate as persistent spikes of green flowers, at length maturing fruit. 

Among them are several garden vegetables Spinach, Beets, Mangels) and a number of weeds. Leaves alternate to opposite sometimes reduced to teeth, entire or lobed. Inflorescence spikes... 

FumariacecR or Fumitory Family.— Delicate herbs rarely shrubs containing milky watery to watery latex. Leaves more or less compound. Inflorescence a raceme or spike. Flowers irregular, zygomorphic, one or both of the petals of which having a spur. Fruit a one-chambered capsule. Seeds albuminous. Idioblasts common. 

Punicacece (Lythracece) or Pomegranate Family.—Herbs (Cuphea), shrubs (Decadon) or low trees (Punica). Leaves either alternate, opposite (Punica) or whorled, simple, usually lanceolate to ovate, entire, often glandular and viscous. Inflorescence a raceme, spike. 

Am ent.—A scaly spike-like inflorescence. Another name for catkin. Amor phous.—Without definite shape. 

Spike.—An indeterminate inflorescence consisting of sessile florets arranged along a lengthened axis. 

Rachis clearly branched. Especially in leafy inflorescences the primary branches may be called partial inflorescences. The inflorescences mentioned under 45.1 may be branched several times their name is then maintained, but compound is added, for instance compound umbels (an umbel of umbels), compound spikes (instead of flowers secondary spikes), compound racemes (instead of flowers secondary racemes). There are a great number of inflorescences for which no proper name exists. When necessary they will have to be described extensively, preferably accompanied by schemes. Some common other terms aret... 

Description Herbaceous perennial with short rhizomes. Stems 60-100 cm tall, 4-sided, densely hairy below, scattered hairy above. Leaves opposite lower leaves petiolate, 13-15 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, obovate, bases oblique, margins crenate upper leaves sessile, ovate-lanceolate, 5-6 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, margins serrate terminal leaves lanceolate, entire. Inflorescences 10-12-flowered verticillasters, in terminal, compact spikes. Flowers sessile. Calyx 10-15 mm long, cam-panulate with lanceolate teeth. Corolla 2-lipped, lilac. Fruits dark-brown nutlets. 

Description Herbaceons perennial, with rhizomes. Stems erect, 40-100 cm tall, 4-sided, branched, finely hairy. Leaves short-pertiolate, ovate, elliptic or oblanceolate, margins serrate-dentate, both sides finely hairy, very glandnlar on underside npper leaves sessile. Inflorescences verticillasters in terminal, cylindrical spikes bracts awl-shaped, eqnal in length to the calyx. Calyx campannlate with linear teeth, densely hairy. Corolla 4-5 mm long, lilac, funnelform. Fruits ovoid nutlets. 

Description Herbaceous perennial, with rhizomes. Stems purplish, erect or proshate, pubescent, 20-60 cm tall. Leaves opposite, petiolate, broadly ovate to oblong, cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide, densely hairy below. Inflorescences spikes... 

Description Herbaceous perennial. Leaves in basal rosettes, narrow-elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, 7.5-35 cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide, with 3-5 parallel veins, apex acute, narrow petiolate. Inflorescence a dense, erect, cylindrical spike, 1.5-8 cm tall peduncles 15-60 cm tall, with 5 ribs bracts ovate, acute. Corolla 4-lobed. Fruit a 2-seeded, circumscissile capsule. Seeds elongate-oval. 

Description Herbaceous perennial. Leaves in basal rosettes, broad-eUiptic to broad-ovate, 4-21 cm long, 3-14 cm wide, 3-9 parallel veins, sheathing petiolate. Inflorescences dense, erect, narrow-cylindric spikes, 5-15 cm tall peduncles 15-70 cm tall bracts ovate, acute. Corolla greenish or yellowish white with 4 reflexed lobes. Fruit a 2-seeded, circumscis-sile capsule. Seeds 1-1.5 mm long, densely reticulate. 

Where the branches bearing the flowers continue to grow, so that the youngest flowers are nearest the apex and the oldest farthest away - an indeterminate inflorescence (Fig. 1.24a). A well-known example of this inflorescence is the spike found in many species of grasses. 

In some grasses the spikelets are attached to the main stem with very short stalks to form a dense type of inflorescence termed spike-like (Fig. 19.8). The spikelet is normally made up of an axis, bearing at its base the upper and lower glumes (Fig. 19.9). Most grasses have two glumes. Above the glumes, and... 

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