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Glite Dictionary
🌱 A plant stalk 🪲 A stiff hair
seta

seta

9.9
A thin stalk that lifts the spore capsule above moss leaves
  • noun
  • /ˈsiːtə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : seta
  • The seta is very slender.

Examples

  • In mosses, a seta serves as the slender stalk that supports the spore capsule.

  • Look at that seta!

  • Scientists measured the length of each seta to study its growth patterns.

  • The seta of the moss is delicate and easily damaged.

  • When the seta matures, it raises the capsule above the moss leaves.

  • The seta of the moss plant can be incredibly thin, allowing for efficient spore dispersal.

  • Observing closely, you can see how a seta elevates the capsule above the moss for better access to the wind.

Synonyms

stipe
vsseta
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A stalk that supports parts of plants such as a mushroom cap, a fern leaf, or part of a flower

is used only in mosses and other lower plants not fungi or ferns

Surface Forms

seta singular
setae plural

Etymology

Seta comes from Latin seta, which means 'bristle' or 'stiff hair'. In mosses the name helps you picture a thin bristle-like stalk that lifts the capsule above the leaves, so the origin explains the modern meaning.