[uhm-buh
l] 
| an inflorescence in which a number of flower stalks or pedicels, nearly equal in length, spread from a common center. |
| um·bel (ŭm'bəl) n. A flat-topped or rounded flower cluster in which the individual flower stalks arise from about the same point, as in the geranium, milkweed, onion, and chive. [New Latin umbella, from Latin, parasol, diminutive of umbra, shadow.] |
| umbel (ŭm'bəl) Pronunciation Key
A flat or rounded indeterminate inflorescence in which the individual flower stalks (called pedicels) arise from about the same point on the stem at the tip of the peduncle. The geranium, milkweed, and onion have umbels. Umbels usually show centripetal inflorescence, with the lower or outer flowers blooming first. |