Raceme
An unbranched flower spike whose flowers open progressively from the base upwards.
Botany
Definition
Foxglove, bird cherry, black locust and lupin all carry racemes. The progressive opening extends the flowering period and gives bees a reliable working pattern — they generally start at the bottom and work upwards, which happens to move them from older receptive flowers to younger pollen-shedding ones.
Plant records that discuss this
See also
Other botany terms
Sources
Sources
- Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland — Bloomsbury (2015) · Field guide
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