Meaning & use
Spathe
Last updated
A large sheathing bract that encloses the flower cluster of certain plants, such as arum lilies and palms.
See it in a sentence
The peace lily's white spathe curls around its small central spike of flowers.
Botanists examined the spathe to identify the species of palm.
A note on using this word
Spathes are especially common in plants of the arum family, where they often look like a single showy petal but are technically a modified leaf.
Words with a similar meaning
bract
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