What is monopodium, sympodium and hypanthodium in botany?

Question

These words are in my botany books but not clearly explained and no diagrams to make it worse.

Answer 1

1) Monopodium- It is a botanical term for 'True Axis'.

When a stem or its branch grows as a result of the continued growth of the SAME bud then the resultant axis is a Monopodium.
When a sunflower grows from a seedling to a mature plant ; its main stem is a Monopodium.

See below the monopodial axis of vanda orchid and Vinca plant.
http://pix.botany.org/set09/09-011h_300.jpg
http://botany.cs.tamu.edu/FLORA/dcs420/mi07/mi07025.jpg

2) When an axis is the result of fusion of many lateral branches then it is a false axis or sympodium
http://home.manhattan.edu/~frances.cardillo/plants/angio/helicyme.gif

3) Hypanthodium - Is the inflorescence and fruit as well of ficus or fig family . In this the receptacle is hollow ,cup like and the flowers ( and then fruits ) are located on its inner surface. The fruit has a small opening called ostiole.
http://www.steve.gb.com/images/vegetable_empire/veg/fig.jpg

Answer 2

They all refer to patterns of branching. Monopodium refers to a large, main trunk, such as that of a tree, that gives of lateral branches but continues a main axial growth. Sympodium is a growth pattern that mimics a main axis, but is actually made up of a succession of branches. A sympodium plant tends to grow in meandering zigzag patterns, and the grapevine is an example. Hypanthodium refers to a specific type of inflorescence (a cluster of flowers on a branch), where branches form a hollow space and flowers grow on the inside of it.