sepal
oxford
views updated Jun 08 2018se·pal / ˈsēpəl/ •
n. Bot. each of the parts of the calyx of a flower, enclosing the petals and typically green and leaflike.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
sepal
oxford
views updated Jun 08 2018sepal Modified leaf that makes up the outermost portion of a
flower bud. Although usually green and inconspicuous once the flower is open, in some species, the sepals look like the
petals.
World Encyclopedia
sepal
oxford
views updated May 21 2018sepal (bot.) division of the calyx. XIX. — modL.
sepalum; formed (1790) by N. J. de Necker, perh. f.
SEPARATE +
PETAL.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
sepal
oxford
views updated Jun 08 2018sepal In a
flower, one of the outer floral leaves, usually greenish, which are borne in a tight spiral or
whorled.
A Dictionary of Plant Sciences MICHAEL ALLABY
sepal
oxford
views updated May 29 2018sepal One of the parts of a flower making up the
calyx. Sepals are considered to be modified leaves with a simpler structure. They are usually green and often hairy but in some plants, e.g. monk's hood, they may be brightly coloured.
A Dictionary of Biology
