Parts of a Cannabis Bud

Fran Quesada Moya

10-01-2020 09:00:22 - Updated: 10 January, 2020

Whenever we hear the word “Bud” a resinous, compact and aromatic cannabis flower comes to mind. We have all seen marijuana buds of many different colors, shapes and sizes, but do we know how to recognize the different parts that make up a bud? Surely not many people do, and this article is meant to clear up all those doubts, so here we go…👉

⭐ What is the meaning of the word bud?

 

The outbreaks of many types of plants are known as buds, for example the ones from lettuce. But all we care about is knowing cannabis buds well, which are also called so by their outbreaks, but in this case they are clusters of flowers. When many flowers accumulate, a bud is formed.

Cannabis plants are dioecious, which means that they can be both female and male, although they can also be hermaphrodites or intersexuals. The most interesting for consumers are female cannabis buds.

⛳ What are the parts of a weed bud?

Feminine cannabis buds are composed by 5 differentiated parts, with their different roles.

1. Tail: It is the tip of each branch of the plant, where a greater number of flowers is concentrated. Normally the main tail or apical is the one that produces more flowers, not only because of its size, but also because it is usually the one from the whole plant that receives more light.
2. Bract: Also called calyx, it acts as an ovary in case of fertilization, as a package to protect the seeds. When they are not pollinated, marijuana plants produce many more bracts, to have a better chance of being fertilized.
3. Stigmata: These are the hairs coming from the inside of the bracts. They are also known as pistils, and their function is to catch pollen and carry it to the ovaries (bracts), through the pollen tube. When they fulfill their mission they wither away, but also when they have not been pollinated, which helps us to know their degree of maturity.
4. Resinous leaves: These are the small leaves that come out between the flowers of the tails. They are usually covered with resin, just like the bracts, and they are highly appreciated by lovers of cannabis extractions, especially those of the Water hash technique.
5. Trichomes: They are the glands that contain the highest concentration of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids of the entire cannabis plant. They are also called resin and their main role seems to be to protect the seeds from external agents.

✨ Buds from male cannabis plants

Male plants produce different buds than females. They form floral clusters as well, but these are staminated. Male flowers create pollen in the anthers of the stamens, which are like little bags grouped together. When they mature they open up, spreading the pollen they contain, so that the wind and insects can transport it to the females.

👌 Indica and sativa buds

The parts that make up the buds of indica varieties are the same as those of sativa ones. At first glance they may seem very different, but the main differences lie in their structures. Indica plants grow less than sativa varieties, the distance between their knots is much smaller, and this results in thicker and more compact buds.

Some buds may contain both male and female flowers, they would be intersex plants. You can even see weed buds that contain both sexes in the same flowers, these are called hermaphrodites.

☕ Purple bud or other colors

There are cannabis plants that during flowering acquire bright colors, they may have buds in red, purple, violet, blue, lilac and other shades. This is often due to cold, although it can also be related to genetic issues.

Color buds are among the most appreciated by growers, but in general they are no more different from others than color.

I hope that from now on you will not have problems to recognize the different parts of a weed bud. It is not necessary knowing it to consume it and enjoy it, but it is always a good thing to learn something new, so if you liked it, we would be grateful if you shared it. 😜🤗