helicoid cyme
plant anatomy
Quick Summary
fiddle-neck
A helicoid cyme of the fiddle-neck (Amsinckia intermedia), a type of determinate inflorescence in which the flowers develop on one side of the axis, causing the inflorescence to curve.
A helicoid cyme is a type of inflorescence, which is a cluster of flowers on a plant's stem. In a helicoid cyme, the flowers develop in a one-sided pattern along the main axis. This type of inflorescence is classified as a determinate or cymose inflorescence, meaning the main stem stops growing after producing a flower bud, and the youngest flowers are found at the bottom or outside of the cluster. The term "helicoid" refers to the coiled or spiral arrangement of the flowers, resembling a helix.123
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