Inflorescence
/ˌɪn.fləˈrɛs.əns/noun
The arrangement or cluster of flowers on a plant; the process of flowering.
Did you know?Inflorescence comes from Latin *inflorescere*, meaning “to begin to bloom,” built from *in-* (“into”) + *florescere* (“to flower”), a reminder that even botany once sounded like alchemy.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
inflorescere
“to begin to bloom; to flower out”
Late Latin
Latin
inflorescentia
“a flowering; the state of blooming”
16th Century
English
inflorescence
“the action or process of flowering”
Modern English
English
inflorescence
“a cluster or arrangement of flowers on a plant”