The cannabis plant has several structures, many of which are in any ordinary flowering plant. Cannabis grows on long skinny stems with its large iconic leaves extending out of areas called nodes. The beauty of the flower comes out when unique and complex formations develop.
COLA
A “cola” refers to a cluster of buds that grow tightly together. At the same time, smaller colas grow along the budding sites of lower branches, and the primary cola forms at the top of the plant.
STIGMA AND PISTIL
The pistil contains the female reproductive parts of the flower and the vibrant, hair-like strands of the pistil called the stigma. The stigmas of the pistil begin with white coloring and progressively darken to yellow, orange, red, and brown throughout the plant’s lifespan. Stigmas serve to collect pollen from male flowers. They play an essential role in reproduction, but stigmas bring little to the flower’s potency and taste.
BRACT AND CALYX
A bract is what encapsulates the plant’s female reproductive parts. They look like green tear-shaped leaves covered in resin glands that produce the highest concentrations of cannabinoids of all plant parts. Enclosed by these bracts and unnoticeable to the naked eye, the calyx refers to the translucent layer over the ovule at a flower’s base.
TRICHOMES
Despite their small size, it’s hard to miss the blanket of crystal resin on a cannabis bud. This resin secretes through translucent, mushroomed-shaped glands of the leaves, stems, and calyxes. Trichomes were initially developed to protect the plant against predators and the elements. These clear bulbous globes ooze aromatic oils called terpenes and therapeutic cannabinoids like THC and CBD. The basis of hash production depends on these trichomes and their potent sugar-like resin.