Ochrea

Ochrea

The term ochrea (from the Latin ocrea, protective sheath), in botany, means a plant structure formed by stipules, merged into a sheath, which surrounds the stem.
The ochrea is therefore a sheath that wraps around the internode of the stem or branch for a more or less long stretch above the insertion of the leaf.
Ochrea can have a herbaceous or membranous consistency, more or less transparent.
This plant formation is present in almost all Polygonaceae which are a family of the Dicotyledon Angiosperms and includes about 50 genera and 1120 species widespread mostly in the temperate boreal regions.