palea
Americannoun
plural
paleae-
a chafflike scale or bract.
-
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.
noun
-
the inner of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikelet Compare lemma 1
-
any small membranous bract or scale
plural
paleae-
The inner or upper of the two bracts enclosing one of the small flowers within a grass spikelet.
-
The chaffy scales on the receptacle of a flower head in a plant of the composite family.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of palea
1745–55; < New Latin, special use of Latin palea chaff
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Glumes four, second glume broadly fimbriate with hairs; palea of the third glume short and deeply cleft, fourth glume awned 7.
From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.
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.
The third glume is shorter than the second, finely acuminate, or awned, 7-nerved, membranous, paleate and with three stamens and two lodicules; the palea is shorter than the glume, linear-oblong, subacute.
From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.
The fourth glume is slightly shorter than the third, oblong or elliptic, apiculate, minutely rugulose, thinly coriaceous, with bisexual flower; palea is similar to the glume in texture and markings.
From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.
A portion of the spike; 2. the first glume; 3 and 4. the second and third glumes; 5 and 6. the fourth glume and its palea; 7. lodicules, ovary and stamens.
From A Handbook of Some South Indian Grasses by Rangachari, K.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
