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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