Yoshida - 1981 - Fundamentals of Rice Crop Science

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE RICE PLANT 49
1.41. Component parts of a panicle (adapted from Hoshikawa 1975).
1.9. PANICLE
1.9.1. Morphology
The major elements of a panicle are the base, axis, primary and secondary
branches, pedicel, rudimentary glumes, and spikelet.
The panicle axis extends from the panicle base to the apex. It has 8–10 nodes at
2- to 4-cm intervals from which primary branches develop. In turn, secondary
branches develop from the primary branches. Pedicels develop from the nodes of
the primary and secondary branches, on top of which spikelets are positioned (Fig.
1.41). Usually only one primary branch comes from the panicle base but under
favorable conditions, such as sunny weather or fertile soils, two or three primary
branches may emerge from the panicle base. A panicle with twin or triplet primary
branches on the panicle base is referred to as a female panicle (Fig, 1.42). The
female panicle is an instance of a shortened internode between the primary