inflorescence
noun
in·flo·res·cence
| \ ˌin-flə-ˈre-sᵊn(t)s
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Definition of inflorescence
1a
: the mode of development and arrangement of flowers on an axis
b
: a floral axis with its appendages
also
: a flower cluster
2
: the budding and unfolding of blossoms : flowering
Illustration of inflorescence
inflorescence 1a: 1 raceme, 2 corymb, 3 umbel, 4 compound umbel, 5 capitulum, 6 spike, 7 compound spike, 8 panicle, 9 cyme
Examples of inflorescence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many sagos are flowering, and your plant has produced a female inflorescence. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "How to treat blossom-end rot," 9 June 2018 The inflorescence reaches 12 to 18 inches long, bearing colorful flowers with white lavender petals and orange sepals. — Karen Dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bromeliads create garden drama," 17 May 2018 Native to Sumatran rainforests, the endangered and unpredictable species produces the world's largest unbranched inflorescence. — Houston Chronicle, "There is a new, stinky corpse flower at the Houston Museum of Natural Science," 26 Apr. 2018 The 3-inch-long inflorescence is composed of rows of golden tepals from which emerge red styles that resemble butterfly antennae. — Earl Nickel, San Francisco Chronicle, "Grevilleas for the fall garden," 27 Oct. 2017 White cycad scale is one of these that seems to sneak into the plantings to quickly cover trunks, leaves and inflorescence of the sagos to cause their decline. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Moss poses no risk to azaleas, but it may fight for space," 3 June 2017 A: What appears to be a bromeliad flower is usually an inflorescence composed of many blooms. — Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tackle nematode problem before planting," 20 May 2017 The inflorescence, or flower head, consists of a cluster of about 15 to 20 reddish-brown (meat-colored) flowers covered with fleshy projections called papillae that are said to resemble wriggling maggots. — Tom Mirenda, Smithsonian, "Meet Stinky ‘Bucky,’ the Bulbophyllum Orchid that Shutdown a Smithsonian Greenhouse," 17 Apr. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inflorescence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for inflorescence
inflorescence
noun
in·flo·res·cence
| \ ˌin-flə-ˈre-sᵊns
\
\
Kids Definition of inflorescence
: the arrangement of flowers on a stalk