Flowering & Reproductive Development
Inflorescence Architecture & Floral Branching
Female cannabis inflorescences are compound structures formed from repeated phytomer and branch units. Density and shape emerge from internode length, branching, bract development, leaf position, and genotype rather than from a single 'bud size' trait.
Key concepts
- Inflorescences contain repeated branch and floral units
- Shortened internodes contribute to compact flower clusters
- Genotype strongly affects architecture
- Architecture influences light exposure, support needs, and internal microclimate
What to measure or observe
- Measure floral branch length and internode compression
- Record flower-cluster density and leaf abundance
- Compare upper and lower canopy structures
- Inspect dense interiors for moisture or disease
Common mistakes
- Treating the whole visible cluster as one flower
- Calling compact architecture universally better
- Ignoring sugar-leaf contribution to microclimate
- Comparing flower size without branch-position context
Visuals this lesson still needs
- Inflorescence phytomer diagram
- Compact-versus-open architecture
- Floral branch cross section
- Microclimate-by-architecture comparison