Bract (Involucre)

 

Bracts are modified leaves associated with a flower. 

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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.

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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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