pappus1
/ˈpapəs
/noun (plural pappi /ˈpapʌɪ/ /ˈpapiː/) Botany
The tuft of hairs on each seed of thistles, dandelions, and similar plants, which assists dispersal by the wind.The achenes are terete, narrowed at the base, 5 x 0 • 7 mm, ribbed and black, with a basal tuft of hairs and a pappus consisting of five ovate, petal-like scales....
- The pauciflorous capitulum consists of outer female florets with short ligules, inner hermaphrodite florets without a pappus, and five outer involucral bracts, up to 2 cm long, possessing long-stalked glandular hairs.
- Coode and Richardson pointed out a relationship between Centranthus and Valeriana because both genera share a plumose pappus.
Derivatives
pappose
/ adjective ...- Fundamentally, in a calm atmosphere, pappose seeds make vertical descending flights by utilizing the drag force acting on the pappi.
- The mandibular palp is very large, flattened, and has pappose setae along the rim.
Origin
Early 18th century: via Latin from Greek pappos.
Pappus2
/ˈpapəs/(Fl. circa 300–350 ad), Greek mathematician; known as Pappus of Alexandria. Little is known of his life, but his Collection of six books (another two are missing) is the principal source of knowledge of the mathematics of his predecessors.