panicle
panicle — noun
1. a flower cluster whose main stem produces side branches that divide further, eac
a flower cluster whose main stem produces side branches that divide further, each fine tip bearing a single flower — common in crop plants such as oats and rice
Nikhil showed the class a rice panicle diagram, tracing each branching stem.
The oat panicle bent low when the grain was ready for harvest.
panicle + crop plant (oat)
Devika drew a detailed lilac panicle diagram, tracing each branch for her botany report.
A single panicle of rice can carry over one hundred separate grains.
Hiroshi pointed to the oat heads and showed how each panicle splits into fine branches.
- compound raceme
more technical synonym emphasising the racemose branching pattern
用法筆記
In botanical contexts, a panicle is distinguished from a simple raceme by having branched secondary stems rather than individual flowers attached directly to the main stalk.
常見錯誤
2. a loose, pyramid-shaped flower cluster with widely spreading branches — often us
a loose, pyramid-shaped flower cluster with widely spreading branches — often used for the showy flower heads of ornamental grasses and garden shrubs
Tariro admired the feathery panicles swaying above the fountain grass bed.
ornamental grass — fountain grass panicle
The astilbe panicles rose above the shaded bed as feathery pink plumes.
Felix trimmed the dried, feathery panicles from the ornamental grass stems after the first frost.
Large purple panicles drooped from the buddleia branches near the fence, attracting passing butterflies.
Sari collected dried panicles from the meadow grasses for a winter flower display.
用法筆記
This sense emphasises the visual shape of the inflorescence rather than its internal branching structure. Often used in gardening and landscape descriptions.