What does raceme mean?
A raceme is a botanical arrangement of flowers in which each flower is attached by its own short stalk, or pedicel, to a single elongated central stem. The axis is commonly branched, and its flowers may open in succession, leaving developing fruit or seed capsules below while newer flowers or buds remain near the tip. This structure distinguishes a raceme from other forms of inflorescence, especially a cyme, whose main axis terminates in a flower. The word is used chiefly in botany, horticulture, and plant identification, though it is also encountered in discussions of flowering-plant evolution and agricultural crops. Racemes occur in plants such as lupins, currants, and grapes, although individual species may show modified or more complex versions of the arrangement.
nounA raceme is a type of inflorescence in which individual flowers are borne on short stalks along a single, elongated central axis. The central stem may bear flowers at different stages of development, from buds at the tip to mature flowers and fruit below.
- A simple inflorescence in which stalked flowers arise along an elongated central axis.
"The plant produces a graceful raceme of small white flowers in late spring."
"Botanists identified the structure as a raceme because each flower was attached to the main axis by its own short stalk."
"A hanging raceme of purple blossoms forms beneath the tree in early summer."
The plural is racemes, pronounced with a final /z/.
"Several racemes of flowers appeared at the tips of the branches."
From the Latin word for a bunch of grapes, the raceme preserves the image of many small flowers gathered along one branching stem.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does raceme come from?
The word entered English from French racème, which was borrowed from Latin racemus, meaning a bunch of grapes or a cluster of berries on a stalk. The botanical sense developed from that original reference to a grouped arrangement. Latin racemus also underlies several scientific derivatives, including racemate, racemic, racemization, and racemose.
Related word forms
How raceme is actually used
This is a specialized botanical term. It should not be used as a general synonym for any flower cluster, since a raceme has a specific arrangement of flowers.
Easily confused with raceme
A raceme has flowers arranged along an elongated central axis, whereas a cyme has the main axis ending in a flower, with younger flowers developing on lateral branches below it.