ligule

noun

lig·​ule ˈli-(ˌ)gyül 

: a scalelike projection especially on a plant: such as

a

: a thin appendage of a foliage leaf and especially of the sheath of a blade of grass

b

: a ligulate corolla of a ray floret in a composite head

Examples of ligule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Daisies are unique in having two kinds of flowers or, technically speaking, florets: inner disc florets that appear in the center, each of which consists of colorless petals fused to its reproductive structures, and outer ray florets, each of which shows off a colorful petal known as a ligule. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ligula, from Latin, small tongue, strap, from lingere to lick — more at lick

First Known Use

circa 1847, in the meaning defined above