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Glite Dictionary
pappus

pappus

9.9
A small group of thin hairs on a seed that helps it float in the wind
  • noun
  • /ˈpæpəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pápula
  • Each thistle seed is topped with a white, feathery pappus that helps it float on the breeze.

Examples

  • The dandelion's seeds are carried away by the wind thanks to the fluffy pappus that surrounds them.

  • Botanists use the structure of the pappus to help identify different species within the daisy family.

  • The pappus of a dandelion makes it easy for the wind to carry its seeds far away.

  • The pappus helps the seeds to disperse in the wind.

  • Dandelions have a fluffy pappus that carries seeds far away.

  • After blowing on the dandelion, the pappus released hundreds of tiny seeds into the air.

  • In botany, the pappus helps in the dispersal of seeds, especially in plants like daisies.

Synonyms

pappi
vspappus
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Fine hairs on seeds that help them float in the wind

is the same meaning but as the singular form for one tuft

Surface Forms

pappus singular
pappi plural

Etymology

Pappus comes from an old Greek word pappos that meant 'soft wool' or 'fluff'. So a pappus is the little woolly tuft on a seed (like a dandelion) that helps it float on the wind.