inflorescence
1
8.8
- noun
- /ˌɪnfləˈrɛsəns/
- Specialized
:
inflorescencia
- Flowers may grow singly, as tulips do, or with companions on a common stem, called an inflorescence, as the banksia does (see rightmost photograph on opposite page).
- fig inflorescences
Examples
-
Its pink inflorescence is especially striking in the afternoon, yay!
Blog text (17) -
The resulting structure resembles a branched inflorescence more than it does a flower.
Academic text (2006) -
Here's what the inflorescence looked like as of last Saturday:
Blog text (15) -
The fig is a closed, urn-shaped inflorescence.
Academic text (2005) -
Despite the distances that often exist between individuals of the same species, a very high proportion of inflorescences are pollinated in most species.
Academic text (2005) -
The protective spathe sheet was removed, and the inflorescence strands were separated.
Academic text (2014) -
A NOID reddish-purple variety consistently accepts pollen and begins to form fruit, but then aborts the whole inflorescence before the fruit is ripe.
Blog text (15) -
I've never bothered to try to count how many seeds you can get from a single inflorescence, but working solely from memory, I think the fewest I've gotten is about 3, and the most might be around 25-30.
Blog text (15) -
Small seeds limit the cost inflicted, as each pollinator larva only destroys one seed, and large numbers of seeds per inflorescence ensure that a certain proportion escape predation.
Academic text (2005) -
The inflorescence of the sunflower displays a vibrant arrangement of yellow flowers around its center.
Synonyms
1
3.0
A tight group of small flowers that look like one flower
1
2.7
A group of flowers that grow close together on a plant
How Complex
- Specialized
1
9.9
- Specialized
1
8.8
210
3.1
- Specialized
1
3.0
- Specialized
14
6.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
inflorescence = florescence (semi-transparent) = in + flor + escence
The prefix 'in-' and root 'flor' relate to flowering, but the specific botanical meaning is specialized.
Etymology
The word inflorescence comes from the Latin parts in- 'into' and flor- 'flower', so it suggests flowers coming into bloom together. That's why it also means the whole flower head or the way the flowers are arranged on a plant.