  We present high-resolution, near-infrared imaging of the circumnuclear region
of the barred spiral galaxy M100 (=NGC 4321), accompanied by near-infrared
spectroscopy. We identify a total of 43 distinct regions in the K-band image,
and determine magnitudes and colours for 41 of them. By comparison with other
near-infrared maps we also derive colour excesses and K-band extinctions for
the knots. Combining the imaging and spectroscopic results, we conclude that
the knots are the result of bursts of star formation within the last 15-25 Myr.
We discuss the implications of these new results for our dynamical and
evolutionary understanding of this galaxy.
