Tepal
/ˈtiːpəl/
Definition
Tepal refers to one of the flower parts in a perianth where sepals and petals are not clearly different in size, color, or texture. This plant structure is common in many monocots, such as lilies and tulips. Instead of separate green sepals and showy petals, the flower has similar outer parts, and each individual segment is called a tepal.
Function in Plants
- Pollinator attraction: In many flowers, tepal color, pattern, and texture help make the bloom visible to pollinators, supporting successful pollination and seed set.
- Protection in bud: Before a flower opens, tepal can shield the developing reproductive parts from drying, minor damage, and changing weather.
- Useful for plant identification: The number, size, shape, and arrangement of tepal are important traits in botany, especially in groups such as lilies and tulips where petals and sepals are not clearly different.
- Clue to flower structure: The presence of tepal shows that a flower has an undifferentiated perianth, meaning the outer floral parts are similar rather than separated into distinct sepals and petals.
Related Terms
Perianth
Perianth is the collective term for the non-reproductive outer parts of a flower that surround the stamens and pistil…
Petal
Petal refers to one of the individual parts of a flower’s corolla, the inner set of leaf-like structures located just…
Sepal
Sepal refers to one of the outermost, usually leaf-like parts of a flower. A sepal is part of the calyx, the ring of…
Stamen
Stamen refers to the male reproductive structure of a flower. It usually consists of a filament, the stalk, and an…
Pistil
Pistil refers to the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of one carpel or several fused carpels and…