palea: Meaning and Definition of

pa•le•a

Pronunciation: (pā'lē-u), [key]
— pl. -le•ae
  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.