palea

American  

[pey-lee-uh] / ˈpeɪ li ə /

noun

plural

paleae

1. a chafflike scale or bract.

2. the scalelike, membranous organ in the flowers of grasses that is situated upon a secondary axis in the axil of the flowering glume and envelops the stamens and pistil.

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palea British  

/ ˌpeɪlɪˈeɪʃəs, ˈpeɪlɪə /

noun

1. the inner of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikelet Compare lemma 1

2. any small membranous bract or scale

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palea Scientific  

/ pā′lēə /

plural

paleae

1. The inner or upper of the two bracts enclosing one of the small flowers within a grass spikelet.

2. The chaffy scales on the receptacle of a flower head in a plant of the composite family.

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Other Word Forms

• paleaceous adjective
• paleate adjective

Etymology

Origin of palea

1745–55; < New Latin, special use of Latin palea chaff

Example Sentences

The first and the second glumes are membranous, alike and as long as the third, the second glume is usually epaleate and occasionally with a minute palea.

From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.

The fourth glume is chartaceous, sometimes shortly stalked, ovate-oblong or lanceolate, hardened in the fruit, smooth or rough, bisexual, paleate; the palea is as long and of the same texture as the glume.

From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.

The 375 best distinctions are found in the position of the embryo in relation to the endosperm—lateral in grasses, basal in Cyperaceae—and in the possession by Gramineae of the 2-nerved palea below each flower.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various

Front and back views of spike; 3. spikelet; 4 and 5. first and second glumes; 6 and 7. third glume and its palea; 8. fourth glume, front and back view; 9. ovary, anthers and lodicules.

From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.

Lodicules are distinct and conspicuous; palea is broad with incurved broad margins and hyaline.

From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.