ligulierte

Ligulierte is a botanical descriptor used in German to indicate that a plant part bears a ligule or is ligulate (strap-shaped). The term derives from the Latin ligula, meaning “little tongue,” and is applied across different plant groups where a tongue-like structure is present.

In grasses (the Poaceae), the ligule is a thin or membranous piece located at the junction of the leaf blade and the leaf sheath. Descriptions may note that leaves are “liguliert” or that the plant has a ligule, with forms ranging from membranous to hairy or fringed. The ligule is a diagnostic feature in keys and floras, helping to differentiate species and genera.

In the Asteraceae, ligulate flowers are common in groups such as the tribe Cichorieae (for example dandelions and some lettuces). Here, a ligulate (strap-shaped) corolla forms the flower head, as opposed to the typical tubular or bilabiate ray florets. In this context, the term ligulierte Blüten describes heads composed of ligulate florets.

The term is primarily a descriptive tool rather than a taxonomic category, used to convey a specific morphological feature rather than to designate a clade. It may appear in field guides, floras, and taxonomic keys that require precise characterization of leaf anatomy or flower morphology.

See also: Ligule; Ligulate.