Tepal

In typical modern flowers, the outer or enclosing whorl of organs forms sepals, specialised for protection of the flower bud as it develops, while the inner whorl forms petals, which attract pollinators.

Tepals formed by similar sepals and petals are common in monocotyledons, particularly the "lilioid monocots".

These are fused at the base to form one large, showy, six-parted structure (the perianth).

In lilies the organs in the first whorl are separate from the second, but all look similar, thus all the showy parts are often called tepals.

Tepal shape is described in similar terms to those used for leaves (see Glossary of leaf morphology).