palea

Palea is a term used in botany to describe the inner bract of a grass floret. In grasses (family Poaceae) the spikelet typically contains two sterile bracts at its base, the glumes, and one or more florets enclosed by two bracts: the lemma (outer) and the palea (inner). The palea and lemma together protect the reproductive organs of the flower.

The palea is usually positioned opposite the lemma and can vary in size, texture, and shape across species. It may be membranous or more rigid, and in many grasses it is shorter than the lemma. In some taxa the palea is fused to the floret or only partly surrounding it, while in others it remains more free. Its margins and surface features, such as keels or nerves, are often used in grass identification and taxonomy.

Functionally, the palea contributes to the protection of the developing grain and can influence the mechanical behavior of the floret during maturation and seed dispersal. Although less conspicuous than the lemma, the palea plays a role in how the spikelet dehisces and how the seed is released.

In systematic studies of grasses, palea morphology—including relative length, texture, and the presence of distinctive ridges or teeth—provides characters that help distinguish species and genera. The term palea is specifically tied to grass anatomy and is not generally applied to non-grass plant groups.