Variation in Inflorescence Structure in Cotoneaster Franchetti

Cotoneaster franchetti (Rosaceae) is a garden ornamental shrub which in the climate of Christchurch reaches a height of about three metres, with long curving sprays, and bears some leaves right through the winter. The flowers are small and pink, in inflorescences of about ten flowers on short spurs from the axils of the leaves on the sprays of the previous year. The reseach leading to this paper was directed towards a mathematical model describing the construction of these inflorescences. As will appear, the results are not as expected.