Question

In Banana, the inflorescence is?
(a)Thyrsus
(b)Spadix
(c)Mixed Spadix
(d)Cyme of Capitula

Answer 1

Hint: The banana has a mixed inflorescence and cymose groups of flowers are arranged acropetally on the fleshy axis. Each cymose group is subtended by the spathe, an older spathe subtending the next younger.

Complete answer:
Thyrsus in which a number of cymose clusters are borne acropetally on an unlimited axis in the manner of the raceme. The example is the grapevine.
The spadix is a spike with a fleshy axis and has both male and female flowers. It is a type of racemose inflorescence. The example is the palm.
The mixed spadix is the cymose groups of flowers arranged in acropetally on the fleshy axis. For example, bananas.

Additional Information:
Special types of the inflorescence are strictly neither racemose or cymose. At the same time, they have modified forms of the cymose type. They include hypanthodium, verticillaster, cyathium and thyrsus. Hypanthodium is the condense type of cymose inflorescence, more precisely a modification of the capitulum, characteristic of Ficus. Here, the peduncle forms a hollow, fleshy and flask-shaped receptacle. Verticillaster is a compound inflorescence, consisting of two axillary opposite cymose inflorescences developing one on either side and meeting around the stem. It is typically found in plants with opposite leaves and is characteristic of family Labiate. In this case, two clusters of sessile and opposite cymose inflorescences develop from the axils of opposite leaves as a dichasium. The subsequent development of a monochasial scorpioid nature. During this, they bend around the stem and meet together. So at each node, there is a cluster of flowers completely surrounding the stem. Cyathium is a highly condensed type of cymose inflorescence. It looks like a single flower, within an involucral cup, formed by the fusion of bracts. The peduncle is very much reduced. Thyrsus is a mixed inflorescence, composed of a number of simple cymes arranged in a racemose manner. There is a main peduncle giving rise to secondary inflorescences on the axils of bracts in acropetal succession. Each secondary peduncle has two bracteoles. From the axils of each Bracteole a single flower arises. Thus, each secondary peduncle forms a simple cyme of three flowers of which the central one is the oldest e.g. Ocimum.
So, the correct answer is, ‘Mixed Spadix.’

Note: Nowadays banana plants are also produced from tissue culture. Tissue culture is a technique that is used to grow tissue or cell in an artificial medium and the optimum condition required for the plant is provided artificially. This technique in plants is also known as micropropagation.