Sepal

Diagram showing the parts of a mature flower. In this example, the perianth is separated into a calyx (sepals) and corolla (petals)
Tetramerous flower of Ludwigia octovalvis showing petals and sepals.
After blooming, the sepals of Hibiscus sabdariffa expand into an edible accessory fruit
In many Fabaceae flowers, a calyx tube surrounds the petals.
The large calyx of the medlar fruit is the source of its vulgar nicknames.

A sepal (/ˈsɛpəl, ˈsiːpəl/)[1][2][3] is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom.[4]

  1. ^ From French sépale, from Neo-Latin sepalum, a blend of sep- from Greek skepē 'covering' and -alum from Neo-Latin petalum 'petal', influenced by French pétale 'petal'.
  2. ^ "Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data". languages.oup.com.
  3. ^ "sepal". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins.
  4. ^ Beentje, Henk (2010). The Kew Plant Glossary. Richmond, Surrey: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 978-1-84246-422-9., p. 106