Pappus (botany)

In Asteraceae, the pappus is the modified calyx,[1] the part of an individual floret, that surrounds the base of the corolla tube in flower.

In Asteraceae, the pappus may be composed of bristles (sometimes feathery), awns, scales, or may be absent, and in some species, is too small to see without magnification.

In genera such as Taraxacum or Eupatorium, feathery bristles of the pappus function as a "parachute" which enables the seed to be carried by the wind.

The change of shape can adjust the rate of abscission, allowing increased or decreased germination depending on the favorability of conditions.

It has the ability to retain about 100 times its weight in water and pappus-inspired mechanisms have been proposed and fabricated which would allow highly efficient and specialized liquid transport.