Ochrea

Ochrea on a redshank stem

An ochrea (Latin ocrea, greave or protective legging), also spelled ocrea, is a plant structure formed of stipules fused into a sheath surrounding the stem. ^{[1] [2]} It is typically found in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae and in some members of the orchid family Orchidaceae. ^{[3] [4]} In the palm family Arecaceae, it is an extension of the leaf sheath beyond the petiole insertion. ^[5]

References

1. "Ocrea". A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
2. "Ocrea". New York Botanical Garden. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
3. Brandbyge J (1993). "Polygonaceae". In Kubitzki K, Rohwer JG, Bittrich V (eds.). Flowering Plants · Dicotyledons. The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. Vol. 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-02899-5_63. ISBN   978-3-662-02899-5.
4. "Ocreatus". A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
5. Pei, Shengji; Chen, Sanyang; Guo, Lixiu; Dransfield, John; Henderson, Andrew. "Arecaceae". Flora of China. Vol. 23. Retrieved 6 January 2026– via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.