Inflorescence Type of Tomato

In tomato plants, first flower bud in the first inflorescence was initiated on the terminal meristem of the main stem. The second and the third flower buds were initiated on the lateral side of the pedicel of the first and second flowers, respectively.Lines extended from the odd numbered pedicels crossed with those of the even numbered pedicels at right angles. Each flower was arranged toward the last leaf on the first inflorescence′s axis-like peduncle, and was arranged right- and left-sided, alternately, on the peduncle; the latter was helical at the time of first flower opening, but unfolded during fruit growth.One or two bracteole(s) was (were) observed at the base of leaf, inflorescence and flower in wild type tomatoes. Two bracteoles surrounded petiole, peduncle and pedicel. But when only one bracteole developed, it was arranged alternately on the right or left side of petiole and peduncle in successive nodes. Bracteoles of the peduncle were arranged on the right and left sides of the peduncle on plants with right- and left-handed phyllotaxis. A lateral shoot, inflorescence or flower developed in each bracteole.Single and double clusters were recognized as monochasia and dichasia, respectively. The fundamental inflorescence type of tomato is regarded as a “scorpioid cyme” of a monochasinm.