In botany, lacking a palea; describing a grass or similar plant that does not have the small scale-like structure (palea) that typically protects the flower.
From 'epi-' (without, negating prefix) plus 'paleaceous' (having a palea), derived from 'palea' meaning 'chaff.' The term was coined by botanists to classify grasses based on their floral anatomy.
When botanists examine grass flowers under a microscope, they're looking for tiny protective scales called paleae—if they're missing, that grass gets labeled 'epaleaceous,' which helps scientists organize the thousands of grass species.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.