What does Raceme mean?
A raceme is a type of flowering arrangement featuring an unbranched and single-stemmed inflorescence that yields flowers with progressively shorter stalks going up the axis. In some racemes, older flowers move towards the base of the plant, making space for newer ones.
Racemes can be either compound, where flowers adopt a complex pattern, or single, where flowers are arranged in one single linear pattern. In most racemes, younger florets tend to bloom on the upper stems.
More on Raceme
There are several different types of racemes, including:
- Simple racemes have an elongated main axis with lateral flowers. Radishes, mustard, and toadflaxes are examples of simple racemes.
- Spike racemes tend to have fewer flowers that grow in the form of spikes with sharp or rounded ends. These flowers are either ebracteate or bracteates. Ginger and Bottlebrushes are among the most common example of spikelet raceme.
- Panicle or compound racemes often sport branches on the main stem in the likes of crabgrass and oats.
