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| Special Types of Inflorescence |
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| Some plants exhibit special types of inflorescence. Some of them are as follows: |
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| Here, the inflorescence is highly reduced. It has a cup shaped receptacle formed by the fusion of five bracts. On the surface of this cup, generally a yellow coloured nectar secreting gland is present. A single female flower arises from the centre of the cup. It is highly reduced and is borne on a long stalk. The male flowers are highly reduced and are produced in a scorpioid manner from the axil of each bract e.g. Euphorbia pulcherrima. |
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| Verticellaster is a special type of inflorescence seen in Leucas. At each node of the stem two axillary opposite cymose inflorescences develop on either side. The cyme in the axil of each leaf, starts as a dichasial cyme but subsequently become monochasial scorpioid cyme. As a result the cyme bends round the stem on either side and meets a similar cyme from the opposite side. Hence, at each node there is a cluster of flowers completely surrounding the stem. |
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| fig. 27.46 Verticillaster Inflorescence |
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| It is an inflorescence having a number of simple dichasial cymes arranged in a recemose manner on an elongated peduncle. Hence, it is also called mixed type. e.g., Ocimum. |
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| In this type of inflorescence the receptacle becomes spherical with a cavity inside. It opens to the outside with a small opening. Numerous small sessile flowers are produced from the inner surface of the receptacle. These flowers are of three types: male flowers, female flowers and sterile female flowers (gall flowers) e.g., Ficus. |
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| fig. 27.47 - Hypanthodium |
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