: a sheathing bract or pair of bracts partly enclosing an inflorescence and especially a spadix on the same axis
the spathe of the calla lily
Examples of spathe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Plants grow to about 16 inches high and if content will produce long-lasting colorful spathes several months of the year.
—
Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2024
By the creek, skunk cabbage pokes up reliably from the muck, its speckled, maroon-yellow spathe resembling a jester’s cap.
—Daryln Brewer Hoffstot Kristian Thacker, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Peace lilies have long been popular houseplants for their glossy dark green leaves and pretty white flowers, called spathes.
—Kristin Tablang, House Beautiful, 18 Apr. 2023
The foliage appears in late fall, grows all winter and in late winter/early spring produces a whitish green spathe bloom.
—Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2021
By Monday morning, the 6-foot-tall flower remained in full, glorious bloom with its blood-red petal spathe slowly darkening to a deep maroon, but its smell was more muted.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Nov. 2021
After a monthlong growth cycle, the spathe, or the petal-like sheath around the flower’s spadix (a beige, fleshy spike), began folding back around 3 p.m. Sunday.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Nov. 2021
Look for a maroon spathe (basically a leaf that covers a flower) and get close enough to get a whiff of its namesake.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2020
The spathe on the corpse flower is striped green and white on the outside and a meaty red within.
—Ciscoe Morris, The Seattle Times, 31 May 2017
Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 7 Feb. 2024
By the creek, skunk cabbage pokes up reliably from the muck, its speckled, maroon-yellow spathe resembling a jester’s cap.
—Daryln Brewer Hoffstot Kristian Thacker, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Peace lilies have long been popular houseplants for their glossy dark green leaves and pretty white flowers, called spathes.
—Kristin Tablang, House Beautiful, 18 Apr. 2023
The foliage appears in late fall, grows all winter and in late winter/early spring produces a whitish green spathe bloom.
—Janet Carson, Arkansas Online, 20 Dec. 2021
By Monday morning, the 6-foot-tall flower remained in full, glorious bloom with its blood-red petal spathe slowly darkening to a deep maroon, but its smell was more muted.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Nov. 2021
After a monthlong growth cycle, the spathe, or the petal-like sheath around the flower’s spadix (a beige, fleshy spike), began folding back around 3 p.m. Sunday.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Nov. 2021
Look for a maroon spathe (basically a leaf that covers a flower) and get close enough to get a whiff of its namesake.
—Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2020
The spathe on the corpse flower is striped green and white on the outside and a meaty red within.
—Ciscoe Morris, The Seattle Times, 31 May 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spathe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Spathe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spathe. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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