pappus

noun — 2 senses

pappus

noun

Etymology Via Latin pappus from Ancient Greek πάππος (páppos), an affectionate term for elderly men (referencing beards).

Biology, Botany, Natural sciences The markedly reduced sepals of an Asteraceae floret that take the form of trichomes or scale attached to the ovary or seed.

The first downy hairs that appear on the chin.

Derived terms: pappiferous
Related terms: anemochory

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.