\Pap"pus\, n. [L., an old man or grandfather; hence, a
substance resembling gray hairs, Gr. ?.] (Bot.)
The hairy or feathery appendage of the achenes of thistles,
dandelions, and most other plants of the order
{Composit[ae]}; also, the scales, awns, or bristles which
represent the calyx in other plants of the same order.