A leaf that forms as part of an inflorescence is termed a bract. Bracts, if green, are assumed to be photosynthetic structures, but where they are nongreen, the bract is often involved in attracting an animal for pollination or to be a dispersal agent of fruits or seeds.
There are a number of examples among flowering plants in which bracts are brilliantly colored to attract animals. In most of these cases, the bracts are very large in comparison with the flowers. The unit of the small flowers and the very showy bracts in some instances has been termed a pseudanthium, i.e., a false flower, actually being an inflorescence (cluster of flowers).
Many species with showy, nongreen bracts have become popular house and garden plants, due to their striking color displays. White bracts may be due to the absence of pigmentation, but some of the pure white bracts owe their brightness to the presence of flavones.