spikelet

[ spahyk-lit ]
/ ˈspaɪk lɪt /

noun Botany.

a small or secondary spike in grasses; one of the flower clusters, the unit of inflorescence, consisting of two or more flowers and subtended by one or more glumes variously disposed around a common axis.

Origin of spikelet

First recorded in 1785–95; spike2 + -let

Words nearby spikelet

spike moss, spike potential, spike-rush, spike-tooth harrow, spikedace, spikelet, spikenard, spiker, spiky, spile, spiling

Example sentences from the Web for spikelet

British Dictionary definitions for spikelet

spikelet
/ (ˈspaɪklɪt) /

noun

botany the unit of a grass inflorescence, typically consisting of two bracts (glumes) surrounding one or more florets, each of which is itself surrounded by two bracts See lemma 1, palea
the small inflorescence of plants of other families, esp the sedges

Scientific definitions for spikelet

spikelet
[ spīk′lĭt ]

A small spike, especially one that is part of the characteristic inflorescence of grasses and sedges. A grass spikelet consists of one or more florets (reduced flowers). Each floret contains a pistil and stamens and is enclosed by two bracts, the lemma and the palea. At the base of the entire spikelet are two additional scalelike bracts, the glumes.