Cornflower

The cornflower is a branching annual cultivated for its attractive blue, pink, purple, red, or white flowers. A frost-hardy species, the cornflower grows well in sunny locations with well-drained soils.

Rene Dulhoste/Jacana/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Peony

The peony, which belongs to the Paeonia genus, is a common garden plant with a number of varieties and cultivars. In the wild it is found in the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere.

Bonnie Sue/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Acanthus

The acanthus, commonly called bear’s-breeches, is cultivated for its ornamental leaves and large flowers. The plant is native to southern Europe, thriving in rich, well-drained soils and full sunlight.

Dorling Kindersley

Trumpet Creeper

The trumpet creeper, characterized by small clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers, is a woody-stemmed root climber that grows best in sunny, fertile, moist, well-drained soils. It reaches 7 to 12 m (22 to 40 ft) in height.

Harry Rogers/Photo Researchers, Inc.

Sausage Tree

The sausage tree of the Bignonia family is native to Africa and named for its unusual sausage-like fruits. The woody capsules can be up to 45 cm (18 in) long, 10 cm (4 in) wide, and weigh up to 5 kg (12 lb). The fruit takes a year to ripen and is inedible, but is often used in folk remedies for skin conditions.

Peter Ward/Bruce Coleman, Inc.

Garden Nasturtium

The garden nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus, is mainly cultivated for its attractive flowers. The nasturtium originally came from South America.

Dorling Kindersley

Bougainvillea

The showy display of bougainvillaeas is due to three large, brightly coloured bracts that surround each group of inconspicuous flowers. Many hybrids of bougainvillaea have been cultivated for their ornamental value, including two varieties with multiple bract colours on a single plant.

Dorling Kindersley

Yucca

The yucca (foreground), a member of the agave family, is cultivated as an ornamental plant. Its bell-shaped white blossoms appear in loose clusters from a flower stalk; the stem itself is quite short in many species.

Dorling Kindersley

Common Lilac

The common lilac, a variety of which is seen here, is one of a group of deciduous trees and shrubs grown primarily for their extremely fragrant flowers. Originating in temperate Eurasia, the lilac is now cultivated in temperate regions of the world in sunny locations with thick, fertile, preferably alkaline soils.

Richard Shiell/Animals Animals

Type of Inflorescences

Each type of inflorescence (flower cluster) is identified by the way the flowers are arranged on the stem.

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