The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Ament \Am"ent\, n. [L. amentum thong or strap.] (Bot.)
   A species of inflorescence; a catkin.
   [1913 Webster]

         The globular ament of a buttonwood.      --Coues.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

ament
    n 1: a cylindrical spikelike inflorescence [syn: catkin,
         ament]