Spathe
/speɪð/
Definition
Spathe refers to a specialized bract, or modified leaf, that encloses or subtends a flower cluster. It is common in plants such as Araceae, where the spathe often surrounds the spadix, a fleshy spike of many small flowers. Unlike a petal, a spathe is not part of the flower itself. It may protect the developing inflorescence or help attract pollinators, and it can be green or brightly colored.
Function in Plants
- Protection during development: In many plants, the spathe encloses the flower cluster while it is immature, helping shield delicate reproductive parts from drying, minor physical damage, and changing weather.
- Visual support for pollination: Its size, shape, and color can make the flowering structure more noticeable, which may help guide pollinators toward the small flowers carried inside or alongside it.
- Useful clue in plant identification: Botanists often compare the spathe across plant groups because features such as texture, color, persistence, and how widely it opens can help separate similar species or genera.
- Common in arums and some bulbs: This structure is especially familiar in Araceae, such as Anthurium and Spathiphyllum, and it also appears in some bulb-forming plants, where it surrounds emerging flower parts.
Related Terms
Inflorescence
Inflorescence refers to the arrangement of flowers on a plant, or the complete flowering structure that bears a cluster…
Peduncle
Peduncle refers to the main stalk that supports a flower, a cluster of flowers, or a fruiting structure. It arises from…
Pedicel
Pedicel refers to the small stalk that supports a single flower, fruit, or seed-bearing structure within an…
Tepal
Tepal refers to one of the flower parts in a perianth where sepals and petals are not clearly different in size, color…
Perianth
Perianth is the collective term for the non-reproductive outer parts of a flower that surround the stamens and pistil…