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Glite Dictionary
tepal

tepal

9.9
A part of a flower in lilies and tulips that is not clearly a petal or sepal
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛpəl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tepalo
  • The flower of the lily has six prominent tepals arranged in two whorls.

Examples

  • The lily's tepals are smooth and glossy, providing a striking contrast to its dark green leaves.

  • In some plant species, each tepal is similar in color and texture, making them hard to distinguish.

  • Unlike roses, tulips have tepals that are not clearly classified as petals or sepals.

  • The tepal of the lily is often brightly colored.

  • Some flowers have multiple tepals that are indistinguishable.

  • Each flower has three beautiful tepals that are bright yellow and shaped like stars.

  • In many flowers like tulips, the tepals form a colorful outer layer that can be mistaken for petals.

Surface Forms

tepal singular
tepals plural

Etymology

The word tepal was made by mixing sepal and petal, the two words for parts of the 'outer part of a flower'. A helpful way to remember it is that a tepal looks like both a petal and a sepal and is not clearly one or the other, so the name matches its modern meaning.