panicle

Borrowed from Latin pānicula, diminutive of pānus (“ear of millet, literally 'thread wound on a bobbin'”), from Ancient Greek πῆνος (pênos, “web”), πηνίον (pēníon, “bobbin”). Doublet of panocha.

panicle (plural panicles)

1. (botany) A compound raceme.

   Hyponym: tassel

   • 1838, George Don, A General System of Gardening and Botany, page 64:

     Inflorescence a large terminal, leafy, cross-armed panicle, composed of small, 5-flowered, terminal umbellets.

   • 1997, Norris McWhirter, The Guinness Book of World Records 1997, page 79:

     The panicle of Puya raimondii (see LARGEST BLOOM, above) emerges after 80-150 years of the plant's life and then dies.

• corymb
• thyrse

• Calpine, capelin, capline, in place, pelican, pinacle