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pappus
[ pap-uhs ]
noun
- a downy, bristly, or other tuftlike appendage of the achene of certain plants, as the dandelion and the thistle.
pappus
/ ˈpæpəs /
noun
- a ring of fine feathery hairs surrounding the fruit in composite plants, such as the thistle; aids dispersal of the fruits by the wind
pappus
/ păp′əs /
, Plural pappi păp′ī
- 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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Derived Forms
- ˈpappose, adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of pappus1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of pappus1
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Example Sentences
Pappus pilosus, denticulato scaber, pluriserialis, radiolis exterioribus brevioribus.
I do not think that I made enough about the great power of absorption of water by the corolla-like calyx or pappus.
Moreover, the hairs of the pappus which crowns the seed are four times longer, and unequal instead of being equal.
In both species the achenes of the ray have no pappus, but those of the disc have a pappus of stiff hairs in several rows.
The fruit is brown, curved, with transverse ridges and a stalked pappus of feathery hairs.
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