THYRSUS
thyrse, thyrsus
(noun) a dense flower cluster (as of the lilac or horse chestnut) in which the main axis is racemose and the branches are cymose
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
thyrsus (plural thyrsi)
A staff topped with a conical ornament, carried by Bacchus or his followers.
(botany) A species of inflorescence; a dense panicle, as in the lilac and horse-chestnut.
Source: Wiktionary
Thyr"sus, n.; pl. Thyrsi. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. Torso.]
1. A staff entwined with ivy, and surmounted by a pine cone, or by a
bunch of vine or ivy leaves with grapes or berries. It is an
attribute of Bacchus, and of the satyrs and others engaging in
Bacchic rites.
A good to grow on graves As twist about a thyrsus. Mrs. Browning.
In my hand I bear The thyrsus, tipped with fragrant cones of pine.
Longfellow.
2. (Bot.)
Definition: A species of inflorescence; a dense panicle, as in the lilac
and horse-chestnut.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition