theca

thumb|right|Strawberry anther with parallel thecae In biology, a theca (: thecae) is a sheath or a covering.

== Botany == In botany, the theca is related to plant's flower anatomy. The theca of an angiosperm consists of a pair of microsporangia that are adjacent to each other and share a common area of dehiscence called the stomium. Any part of a microsporophyll that bears microsporangia is called an anther. Most anthers are formed on the apex of a filament. An anther and its filament together form a typical (or filantherous) stamen, part of the male floral organ.