What are bracts?

Plant flowers are wonderful. They fill the landscape with multiple colors and scents, thus attracting a wide variety of pollinators. In addition, they brighten our day, since there is nothing like going out to the patio or garden to disconnect from the routine and enjoy the natural beauty of plant beings.

To get to know them better, let’s see what bracts are exactly and what function they have .anthurium in bloom

Anthurium sp.

The bracts in botany refer to the modified leaves that are very close to the compound flowers  of angiosperm plants , that is, all those that produce precious petals. These foliar organs are different from normal leaves, and therefore do not have the same function. In fact, they serve more as a protective shield than to carry out photosynthesis, despite many containing chlorophyll as they are green. But green is not the only color they can have: depending on the type of plant it is, they can be red, pink, lilac, white, yellow or take on other shades.

These foliar organs are generally smaller than normal leaves , but may be larger, such as lime (Tillia sp) for example. Others are much smaller, as is the case with those of the dandelion herb, known by the scientific name Taraxacum officinale .poinsettia

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

Thus, when the bracts are of such striking colors it is very easy to confuse them with flowers ; however, we hope that now it will be easier for you to identify them in plants. To help you a little more, we leave you with a list of those that are especially curious and cheerful:

  • Anthurium sp.
  • Bouganvillea sp.
  • cove sp
  • Guzmania sp.
  • Heliconia spp.
  • Euphorbia pulcherrima
  • Mussaenda sp.
What are bracts?

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