Hi, I know a little about flower anatomy and there are obviously many variations, but this one seems REALLY weird. We planted some bee balm (spotted, I think) and I noticed it looks like one flower stalk is growing out from a pistil or stamen of the flower below it (x2). Is it? If so, are there any other flowers with similar structure? If not, what is the correct way to describe this stacked arrangement?

If you can't answer this, I'd be grateful if you could recommend someone who can.

Thank you!

Mart C

If you look at some Spotted Bee Balm photos, you will see what your plant is doing is what they do.

Thanks for the quick response; but from your answer I can tell that I didn't word my question very well. I know that my plant looks like the pictures of other spotted bee balm plants. What I mean is that it seems this variety of bee balm (spotted) has anatomy totally different from any other plant species. Am I right? Are there any other plant species (or varieties) in which one flower grows out of another flower? And what is this arrangement called? Thanks again!

Yes. Not too uncommon, very cool structure.
A couple jump to mind, many Phlomis species

Cleveland sage

Welcome to the site! Like NMoasis said, not to uncommon

This group may be able to help you out on the structure, give them a call
https://www.umes.edu/SANS/Page...

That was an incomplete answer. I always have called them stacked whorls for lack of a better term but now, having looked it up, I know it is called a verticillaster inflorescence. As far as I know, this structure is limited to plants in the Lamiaceae family. Thanks for the providing the impetus to learn this

Edit to add, I meant my earlier answer was incomplete, not Rj's which appeared in between!

I'm a bit envious now, my bee balms are just a single flower head on a single stem, I've never seen them flower like that before!

Thank you, NMoasis, crawgarden and Murky!!!!!

Murky said: I'm a bit envious now, my bee balms are just a single flower head on a single stem, I've never seen them flower like that before!

Nancy I think that trait is specific to Monarda punctata aka spotted beebalm or horsemint. The more common garden variety is Monarda didyma.

Thanks for that... but I'm still envious! I do like the color of mine though, the hummers like it.

Spotted bee balm is cool, I know, but now know it's even cooler.

Here's another example of verticillaster, according to Encyclopedia Britannica: hedge nettle.

Nice one!