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The protective leaf-like structure surrounding the seed pod of female cannabis plants, densely coated in trichomes.
A bract is the small, leaf-like structure that forms the protective housing around the female cannabis flower's reproductive organs. Often incorrectly called the calyx in cannabis culture, the bract is actually the most trichome-dense part of the cannabis plant and is the primary structure that makes up what consumers call a bud.
Each bract appears as a tiny, teardrop-shaped pod from which two pistils (stigmas) emerge. The surface of the bract is densely covered with capitate-stalked trichomes, the resin-producing glands that contain cannabinoids and terpenes. If pollinated, the bract swells to encase the developing seed. If unpollinated (sinsemilla), the bract continues to produce resin glands throughout the flowering cycle. Hundreds of bracts packed tightly together along the stem form the dense flower clusters that consumers recognize as cannabis buds.
The bract-to-leaf ratio is one of the most valued metrics in cannabis breeding. Strains with a high bract ratio produce buds that are mostly flower tissue with minimal leaf material, making them easier to trim and more pleasant to consume. Because bracts carry the highest concentration of trichomes on the plant, more bract coverage means more cannabinoids and terpenes per gram of flower. Breeders select for swollen, resinous bracts as a key indicator of production quality in new cultivar development.
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