There are many inconsistencies in the cannabis industry when it comes to consumers labeling and identifying parts of the cannabis plant. Using correct botanical terms is critical in the growing departments of Licensed Producers.
Cannabis is a part of the Cannabaea plant family, and it includes 170 species, in 11 genera including hops. Species should not be confused with the term strain.
For the sake of today, we will be talking about the flower only, the ‘bud’ itself. The technical term is ‘cola’, the clusters of bud, grown closely together making it look like a single large bud. They are found throughout each cannabis plant. Clusters of the youngest bud can be found towards the top of the plant, with the less desirable older ones towards the bottom.
Learning the anatomy of a cannabis bud can help you understand a little more about how these plants work and how they are used for your medicine.
Bud comes in a variety of colors from yellows, purples, oranges, and more. The characteristics change depending on the strain, the most distinctive variations come from the female plant.
What are the parts of a cannabis flower?
Calyx
The calyx is the first thing to develop on the cannabis flower, it is essential to protect the flower throughout its development. It appears like a collection of regular cannabis leaves, but they will cover the outside of the bud until it blooms. It holds everything together, such as the pistils, trichomes, and the bud itself. They are the most resinous part of the flower; cannabis resin is secreted here and is utilized by many producers as the choice for resin products.
Pistils
A pistil is a female plant sex organ, also known as stigmas. They appear as tiny hair-like structures and are used for cross-pollination. When a pistil of the female plant meets the pollen of a male plant, the female plant will begin to produce seeds. This makes the cannabis plant less potent. Instead of producing bud, the plant will produce seeds. Pistils are also utilized to identify gender during the vegetation and flower growing stages.
A female plant will have white hairs protruding from the nodes, it could take weeks for them to show. If you see any kind of ball, you have a male. If you have both hair and ball, your plant is more than likely hermaphrodite.
The pistils change color and can tell growers how mature their plants are. White wispy pistils appear in the early life of the bud. The pistils will change orange, red, and amber and shrivel into the bud when they are ready to harvest. All plants utilized for medical cannabis are female.
Ovule
The ovule is a part of only female plants. They start their appearance as green and then turn brown. Each calyx contains one, they are partnered with the pistils. If the pistils of a female plant have been pollinated by a male plant. The pollen will travel down the pistil to the ovule where the seed is formed over a 4-6 week period. The female plant utilizes all her energy towards seed production, instead of spending it on bud and resin production. Cannabis plants utilized for medicine with the Licensed Producers are not pollinated, the ovules remain empty with no seed production, allowing for higher levels of terpenes and cannabinoid content.
Bracts
Bracts are small leaves that enclose and protect the ovule, where the seed is formed. They have a large dense covering of resin that contains the highest-level concentration of THC from any plant part. They make up the weight and help determine high-quality buds. Bracts alongside calyxes are what help develop a dense bud. Rule of thumb, the higher the bract and leaf ratio is, the more superior the bud is in quality, quantity, and overall flavor and THC strength. If the plant has been stressed during its growing stages, the bracts can be affected causing fluffy popcorn-sized buds.
Trichomes
Trichomes are tiny, translucent to milky crystalline structures found all over your cannabis plant. They appear like sugar coating. Primarily found on the cannabis flower, bract, and leaves. They hold the cannabis plants’ highest level of terpene and cannabinoid content. Trichomes appear later in the vegetation stage throughout the flowering stage. First appearing on the plant as transparent bulbs, as they age, they become milky white, to eventually amber in color. When harvesting cannabis plants, growers utilize the appearance of trichomes to indicate the time for harvest. Licensed Producers generally harvest when 95% or more of the trichomes become milky white. If they turn more amber-colored, this is an indication the plant has aged past its most potent percentage of terpenes and cannabinoids, such as THC.
There is more to the plant than just a root, stem, and flower. Growing and watching the development of the cannabis flower can be rewarding. Every one of them is unique.