Tepal
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any component of the perianth (outermost whorls of flower parts, not involved in reproduction), especially when the components are not distinguished into sepals and petals.
"1982, H. Q. Varekamp (translator and editor), Z. Botschantzeva, Tulips: Taxonomy, Morphology, cytology, phytogeography and physiology, page 27, In Tulipa the pubescent tips of the tepals are quite interesting in particular those of T. fosteriana. The top of the tepal is initiated and develops before the reflexed, lateral parts."
- 2 an undifferentiated part of a perianth that cannot be distinguished as a sepal or a petal (as in lilies and tulips) wordnet
Example
More examples"1982, H. Q. Varekamp (translator and editor), Z. Botschantzeva, Tulips: Taxonomy, Morphology, cytology, phytogeography and physiology, page 27, In Tulipa the pubescent tips of the tepals are quite interesting in particular those of T. fosteriana. The top of the tepal is initiated and develops before the reflexed, lateral parts."
Etymology
From French tépale, from New Latin tēpalum, coined 1827 by transposition of French pétale (“petal”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.