Dictionary
pa•le•a
Pronunciation: (pā'lē-u), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -le•aePronunciation: (-lē-ē"). [key]
1. a chafflike scale or bract.
2. the scalelike, membranous organ in the flowers of grasses that is situated upon a secondary axis in the axil of the flowering glume and envelops the stamens and pistil.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.