palea

(lē ə)

noun pl. paleae

  1. the upper, or inner, thin, membranous bract enclosing the flower in grasses
  2. pale (sense )

Origin: ModL < L, chaff < IE base *pel-, to cover, a skin > fell, film

See palea in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. pa·le·ae (-lē-ēˌ)
  1. A small chafflike bract enclosing the flower of a grass.
  2. The chaffy scales on the receptacle of a flower head in a plant of the composite family.

Origin:

Origin: Latin, chaff

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