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Agavaceae:
Amaryllidaceae:
Cactaceae:
Iridaceae:
Liliaceae:
Ranunculaceae:
Perianth, Calyx, Corolla, Petal, Sepal, Tepal, Floral Leaves
Parts of the Flower
The relationship between the various parts of the perianth can be summarised as follows:-
the total complement of PETALS = COROLLA
the total complement of SEPALS = CALYX
COROLLA + CALYX = PERIANTH.
Floral Leaves
A general, non-specific term for the petals and sepals and/or tepals.
Petals (Corolla), Sepals (Calyx) and Tepals
In the most common situation, the petals are the showy part of the flower, often highly coloured and eye-catching, while the sepals are functional, usually protecting the flower in the bud stage. After the flower has opened, the sepals suffer a range of fates: they may remain more or less unchanged; or they may stay discretely out of sight behind the petal; or they may fall off altogether. (Examples of calyx/sepals.)
However, there is a significant number of species, particularly among the monocotyledons, where there is no clear distinction between sepals and petals. The Amaryllidaceae normally have six floral leaves, three of them lying behind the other three; by convention, the three that lie behind are regarded as sepals and the three that lie in front as petals (examples). There is a feeling of artificiality about this convention, which is probably why some sources use the non-specific term 'tepals' to describe all the floral leaves in cases where petals and sepals are not clearly differentiated.
