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