spikelet

/'spaiklit/

Thân thiện

A wheat plant has many tiny spikelets along its central stalk.

Definition

Noun: 1. A small, sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf: In botany, a spikelet is a small, compact spike, especially the basic unit of the inflorescence (flower cluster) in grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae). It is a small, sharp structure that bears one or more florets (small flowers).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The wheat plant's inflorescence is composed of many small spikelets arranged along a central axis.
  • Botanists examine the spikelet to identify different species of grass.
  • Each spikelet contains the tiny flowers that will eventually produce grain.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical description: The term is used precisely to describe the morphology of grass flowers. A typical grass spikelet consists of two glumes at the base and one or more florets above them.
  • The arrangement of florets within the spikelet is a key taxonomic feature.

Variants and Related Words

• Spike (noun): A long, pointed inflorescence where flowers are directly attached to the main stem. A spikelet is a small spike.
• Floret (noun): A small flower, especially one that is part of a dense cluster like a spikelet.
• Glume (noun): A sterile bract at the base of a grass spikelet.

Synonyms

• Botanical unit (in the specific context of grasses)
• Small spike

Notes on Meaning

The primary and almost exclusive use of "spikelet" is in the field of botany, specifically referring to the characteristic flowering structure of grasses, sedges, and some related plants. The reference definition describing it as a "small sharp-pointed tip" on a stem or leaf is more applicable to the general word spine or prickle. The botanical spikelet is not merely a pointed tip but a complex reproductive structure.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf

Từ đồng nghĩa

• spine
• thorn
• prickle
• pricker
• sticker