pappus

American  

[pap-uhs] / ˈpæp əs /

noun

Botany.

plural

pappi

1. a downy, bristly, or other tuftlike appendage of the achene of certain plants, as the dandelion and the thistle.

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pappus British  

/ ˈpæpəs /

noun

1. a ring of fine feathery hairs surrounding the fruit in composite plants, such as the thistle; aids dispersal of the fruits by the wind

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pappus Scientific  

/ păp′əs /

plural

pappi

1. A structure made of scales, bristles, or featherlike hairs that is attached to the seeds (called cypselae) of plants of the composite family and that aids in dispersal by the wind. The downy part of a dandelion or thistle seed is a pappus. The pappus is derived from a modified calyx.

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Other Word Forms

• pappose adjective

Etymology

Origin of pappus

1695–1705; < New Latin < Greek páppos down, literally, grandfather (taken as greybeard, white hairs, down)

Example Sentences

Turning to the car to leave, I see the white globe of a dandelion pappus float past the driver’s window and gently land by the front wheel.

From New York Times

He called his soldiers pappi, and many soon felt comfortable enough around him to call him the same.

From New York Times

That happens because of the way air currents interact as they flow among the filaments of the pappus.

From New York Times

This vortex travels above the pappus and yet is not attached to it, an invisible yet faithful familiar that generates lift and prolongs the seed’s descent.

From Nature

Achenes short and thick, compressed or turgid, truncate, glabrous; pappus of 2–8 caducous awns.

From Project Gutenberg