Racemose

Racemose is a term used in botany to describe a certain type of inflorescence in which the flowers are arranged on short, nearly equal, lateral pedicels, at equal distances along a single elongated axis. The term is derived from the Latin word 'racemus', meaning a cluster or bunch.

Overview

Racemose inflorescence is characterized by a main axis that continues to grow and produce flowers indefinitely. This is in contrast to cymose inflorescence, where the main axis terminates in a flower and growth is continued by lateral branches.

There are several types of racemose inflorescence, including:

• Spike: The flowers are sessile and arranged along the unbranched, elongated axis. Examples include the gladiolus and wheat.
• Raceme: The flowers are pedicellate and arranged along the unbranched, elongated axis. Examples include mustard and radish.
• Panicle: The inflorescence is branched and each branch bears more than one flower. Examples include neem and mango.
• Corymb: The pedicels of all the flowers are of different lengths, so that the inflorescence appears flat-topped or convex. Examples include candytuft and hawthorn.
• Umbel: The pedicels of all the flowers arise from the same point and are of the same length, so that the inflorescence appears umbrella-shaped. Examples include onion and coriander.

See also

• Inflorescence
• Cymose
• Botany

Racemose Resources
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