What are bracts?

Bougainvillea bracts

The flowers of the plants 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 that plant beings have.

To get to know them better, let's see what exactly are bracts and what function do they have.

Anthurium in bloom

Anthurium sp.

Bracts in botany refer to the modified leaves that are very close to compound flowers of the angiosperm plants, that is to say, of all those that produce precious petals. These leaf 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, although many contain chlorophyll as they are green in color. 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 acquire other shades.

These foliar organs they are usually smaller than normal leaves, but it may be the case that they are older, such as the Linden (Tillia sp) for example. Others are much smaller, such as those of the dandelion herb, known by the scientific name Taraxacum officinale.

Poinsettia

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

So when the bracts are so brightly colored it is very easy to confuse them with flowers; however, we hope that it will now be easier for you to identify them in plants. To help you a little more, we leave you with a list of those that have them especially curious and happy:

  • Anthurium sp.
  • Bouganvillea sp.
  • cove sp
  • Guzmania sp.
  • Heliconia spp.
  • Euphorbia pulcherrima
  • Mussaenda sp.

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