glume
9.9
A small dry covering at the base of a grass or cereal head that protects seeds
- noun
- /ɡluːm/
- Specialized
:
gluma
- Certain species of grass can be identified by the size and shape of their glumes.
Examples
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Each spikelet of the wheat plant is protected by a pair of glumes.
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The botanist carefully removed the glume to examine the seed within.
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The glume protects the seeds inside.
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Many grasses have a distinct glume structure.
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The glume protects the developing seeds at the base of the grass spikelet.
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When examining the grass spikelets, the glume appears as a small, dry bract.
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In many grasses, each spikelet is subtended by a pair of glumes at its base.
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Glume comes from the old Latin word gluma, which meant 'husk' or 'leaf'. That's why a glume is the dry, leaf-like 'husk' that protects the seed at the base of a grass spikelet.
