Bract (Involucre)
Bracts
are modified leaves associated with a flower.
Drawing courtesy Carrie Liz Carpenter
All
the bracts that surround a flower, taken as a group, can be referred to as an involucre.
Plants
develop bracts in an unbelievable variety of forms, helping each species to
thrive in its part of the world.
These
showy petal-like bracts help pollinators find the tiny flowers in the center.
Mountain Dogwood – photo courtesy Keir Morse
Thistle
bracts are spiny, discouraging browsing animals from eating the flowers.
Milk Thistle – photo © Neal Kramer
In
the Aster family, bracts surround a compound flower.
Shrubby Alkali Aster – Photo courtesy Steve Matson
These
bracts look like scales and help protect a drooping cluster of emerging
flowers.
Common Manzanita – photo courtesy Jeff Bisbee
Skunk
Cabbage features one large bract. It
provides protection and advertising for the small flowers.
Skunk Cabbage – photo courtesy Keir Morse
Pine cones are made up of woody bracts that protect seeds until they’re ready to fall.
Jeffrey Pine Cone – photo © John Muir Laws
Oak
bracts grow to form the acorn cap, protecting and connecting the acorn to the
tree.
Leather Oak – photo © Neal Kramer
Want
more? See Wikipedia.
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