The laminæ are two broad plates, extending dorsally and medially from the pedicles

Pedicle of vertebral arch

The pedicles are two short, thick processes, which project dorsally, one on either side, from the superior part of the vertebral body at the junction of its posterior and lateral surfaces. They connect the body of the spinal vertebra to the arch...

, fusing to complete the roof of the vertebral arch.

Their upper borders and the lower parts of their anterior surfaces are rough for the attachment of the ligamenta flava

Ligamenta flava

The ligamenta flava are ligaments which connect the laminae of adjacent vertebrae, all the way from the axis to the first segment of the sacrum...

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The name derives from the Latin word "lāmina," which refers to a thin plate, sheet, or layer.