Thalamus (also called torus) is the axis of the floral shoot which is the direct prolongation of the pedicel and bears four sets of floral members.
Usually, it is a slightly swollen knob-like structure but sometimes it may be somewhat elongated and conical bearing floral leaves spirally as in Artabotrys, Michelia etc., or like an inverted cone with a spongy flat top as in lotus, or it may be slightly convex as in brinjal, etc. In perigynous and epigynous flowers the thalamus becomes flat or cup-shaped.