bract

bract  (brkt)

n.

A leaflike or scalelike plant part, usually small, sometimes showy or brightly colored, and located just below a flower, a flower stalk, or an inflorescence.

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[From Latin bractea, gold leaf, perhaps from Greek brakhein, to rattle.]

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bracte·al (brkt-l) adj.

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bract

Noun

a leaf, usually small and scaly, growing at the base of a flower [Latin bractea thin metal plate]

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bract  (brkt)

A modified leaf growing just below a flower or flower stalk. Bracts are generally small and inconspicuous, but some are showy and petallike, as the brightly colored bracts of bougainvillaea or the white or pink bracts of flowering dogwoods.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

bract - a modified leaf or leaflike part just below and protecting an inflorescence inflorescence - the flowering part of a plant or arrangement of flowers on a stalk calycle, calyculus, epicalyx, false calyx - a group of bracts simulating a calyx as in a carnation or hibiscus husk - outer membranous covering of some fruits or seeds bracteole, bractlet - a small bract spathe - a conspicuous bract surrounding or subtending a spadix or other inflorescence involucre - a highly conspicuous bract or bract pair or ring of bracts at the base of an inflorescence glume - small dry membranous bract found in inflorescences of Gramineae and Cyperaceae