petal
/ˈpɛt(ə)l
/noun
Each of the segments of the corolla of a flower, which are modified leaves and are typically coloured.In several species the flowers never close, as the petals abscise when the flower is still open....
- Closed flowers were stripped of sepals, petals and anthers just prior to stigma maturity.
- Even the number of petals on a flower can change after leaf removal.
Derivatives
petaline
- In other bloodwood eucalypt species all the primordia in the corolline whorl become continuous at some stage in development, resulting in an operculum that is anatomically unresolvable into its original petaline parts.
petalled
/ adjective [in combination]: pink-petalled trailing phlox
petal-like
- ‘Lady Jane’ [has] alternating red petals and white petal-like sepals suggest a candy cane.
- This bicolored double daffodil features chrome-yellow petals interspersed with petal-like sepals.
petaloid
- The flower is protandrous and presents an unusual sophisticated morphology: the pistil has an umbrella shape with the stigma at the angles, tightly enclosed by the bracts, petaloid sepals and petals.
- It is a family of predominantly annual and perennial herbs with a semi-succulent habitus, which can be easily distinguished from other balsaminoids by its zygomorphic flowers with a spurred petaloid sepal.
- In the third whorl the stamens have petaloid cells on their filaments and no homeotic transformation is observed.
Origin
Early 18th century: from modern Latin petalum (in late Latin 'metal plate'), from Greek petalon 'leaf', neuter (used as a noun) of petalos 'outspread'.
The word petal comes via modern Latin from Greek petalon ‘leaf’, formed from petalos ‘outspread’. Since a petal is technically a modified leaf the origin is not inappropriate.
Rhymes
- pencil cedar
- pencil compass
- pencil crayon
- pencil flash
- pencil flashlight
- pencil flower
- pencil-knife
- pencil lead
- penciller
- pencil line
- pencilly
- pencil mark
- pencil microphone
- pencil moustache
- pencil-neck
- pencil-necked
- pencil pants
- pencil pine
- pencil pusher
- pencil-pushing
- pencil sharpener
- pencil skirt
- pencil someone in
- pencil something in
- pencil stone