An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified. It is a special inflorescence formed by condensation of three types of cymose inflorescence inside a flask shaped fleshy receptacle, the inflorescence has a pore lined by a scales.
It leads into a short canal havnig inwardly directed hair. Male flowers are towards the pore side, female towards the base, and neuter flowers inbetween the two. The neuter flowers are also called gall flowers. The pollinating insects deposit their eggs in gall flowers. Hypanthodium is characteristic inflorescence of Ficus specieS, e.g., Ficus religiosa (Peepal), Ficus carica, Ficus bengalensis (Banyan).
In this type of inflorescence the receptacle becomes spherical with a cavity inside. It opens to the outside with a small opening. Numerous small sessile flowers are produced from the inner surface of the receptacle. These flowers are of three types: male flowers, female flowers and sterile female flowers (gall flowers) e.g., Ficus.