Petal 169493 225795827 2008-07-15T13:07:23Z Chamal N 6928581 Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/77.96.254.43|77.96.254.43]] identified as [[WP:VAND|vandalism]] to last revision by [[User:Polinizador|Polinizador]]. using [[WP:TWINKLE|TW]] {{wiktionarypar|petal}} {{Redirect|Corolla (flower)|other uses|Corolla}} {{For|the petals of chakras|Petal (chakra)}} [[image:Petal-sepal.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[tepal|Tetrameric]] flower of the Primrose [[Onagraceae|Willowherb]] (''Ludwigia octovalvis'') showing petals and sepals]] [[Image:yellow tulip.JPG|thumb|250px|right|This [[tulip]] has dozens of petals.]] A '''petal''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] ''petalon'' "leaf", "thin plate"), regarded as a highly modified leaf, is one member or part of the [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]] of a [[flower]]. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower; the inner [[perianth]] [[whorl]], term used when this is not the same in appearance (color, shape) as the outermost whorl (the [[calyx (botany)|calyx]]) and is used to attract [[pollinator]]s based on its [[advertising coloration|bright color]]. It is the inner part of the '''perianth''' that comprises the sterile parts of a flower and consists of inner and outer '''[[tepal]]s'''. These tepals are usually differentiated into petals and [[sepal]]s. The term "tepal" is usually applied when the petals and sepals are similar in shape and color. In a "typical" flower the petals are showy and colored and surround the reproductive parts. The number of petals in a flower (see '''[[tepal|merosity]]''') is indicative of the plant's classification: [[eudicots]] (the largest group of [[dicotyledon|dicots]]) having typically four or five petals and [[monocotyledon|monocots]] and [[magnoliid]]s having three, or some multiple of three, petals.<ref>{{cite journal | title=The origin and diversification of angiosperms | author=Pamela S. Soltis and Douglas E. Soltis | journal=American Journal of Botany | year=2004 | volume=91 | pages=1614–1626 | url=http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/91/10/1614 | doi=10.3732/ajb.91.10.1614 }}</ref> There exists considerable variation in form of petals among the [[flowering plant]]s. The petals can be united towards the base, forming a '''floral tube'''. In some flowers, the entire perianth forms a cup (called a '''calyx tube''') surrounding the '''gynoecium''', with the sepals, petals, and stamens attached to the rim of the cup. The flowers of some species lack or have very much reduced petals. These are often referred to as '''apetalous'''. Examples of flowers with much reduced perianths are found among the [[Poaceae|grasses]]. The petals are usually the most conspicuous parts of a flower, and the petal whorl or corolla may be either radially or bilaterally symmetrical. If all of the petals are essentially identical in size and shape, the flower is said to be '''regular''' or '''actinomorphic''' (meaning 'ray-formed'). Many flowers are symmetrical in only one plane (i.e., symmetry is bilateral) and are termed '''irregular''' or '''zygomorphic''' (meaning yoke- or pair-formed). In ''irregular'' flowers, other floral parts may be modified from the ''regular'' form, but the petals show the greatest deviation from radial symmetry. Examples of zygomorphic flowers may be seen in [[orchid]]s and members of the [[Fabaceae|pea family]]. The petal is the colorful, often showy part of a plant. == Other structures which may look like petals == Some plants have petaloid [[stamens]], in plants like ''[[Canna (plant)|Canna]]'' that have true petals and [[staminode]]s, the stamen (staminodes) are modified to look like large showy petals. A number of plants have [[bract]]s that resemble petals for example in ''[[Bougainvillea]]'' and ''[[Cornus florida]]'' (flowering dogwood). Petal-like bracts are common features in some plant families like [[Euphorbiaceae]]. In many plants of the [[Asteraceae|aster family]] such as the sunflower, ''[[Helianthus annuus]]'', the circumference of the [[Head (botany)|flower head]] is composed of ray florets. Each ray floret is anatomically an individual flower with a single large petal. ==Corolla== Corolla is the collective term for [[petal]]s of a flower taken as a group within the [[calyx (botany)|calyx]]. Normally the corolla is the most conspicuous part of a flower and of a bright colour other than green. The concept of corolla description is widely used in [[botany]] as a primary determinant of [[vascular plant]] identification. Alternatively the corolla may be considered as the inner [[whorl]] of the [[perianth]] structure. The role of the corolla in plant [[evolution]] has been studied extensively since [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]] postulated a theory of the origin of elongated corollae.<ref>[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1988Natur.334..147N Analysis of theory of evolution of corolla elongation involving pollinating species]</ref> == References == <references/> [[Category:Plant morphology]] [[Category:Reproductive system]] [[Category:Pollination]] [[gn:Yvotyrope]] [[ca:Pètal]] [[de:Kronblatt]] [[es:Pétalo]] [[eo:Korolo]] [[fr:Pétale]] [[hsb:Krónowe łopješko]] [[it:Petalo]] [[he:עלי כותרת]] [[nl:Kroonblad]] [[pt:Pétala]] [[simple:Petal]] [[sr:Круница]] [[zh:花瓣]]