ligule
/ˈlɪɡjuːl/
noun
- A small, thin, strap-shaped part of a plant, especially the flat part of a leaf in grasses or the petal-like structure in some flowers.
- Botanists examine the ligule to tell different types of wheat apart.
- Each tiny flower in the sunflower head has a yellow ligule that looks like a petal.
- The ligule on the grass blade helps identify the species.