ETYM Latin, an old man or grandfather; hence, a substance resembling gray hairs, Greek.
Calyx composed of scales or bristles or featherlike hairs in plants of the Compositae such as thistles and dandelions.
Downy beginnings of a beard.
Downy tuft on plant seed; down.
In botany, a modified calyx comprising a ring of fine, silky hairs, or sometimes scales or small teeth, that persists after fertilization. Pappi are found in members of the daisy family (Compositae) such as the dandelions Taraxacum, where they form a parachutelike structure that aids dispersal of the fruit.