Petals

flower of the Primrose Willowherb (''Ludwigia octovalvis'') showing petals and sepals]]

has dozens of petals.]]

A petal is one member or part of the '''corolla''' of a having typically four or five petals and Monocots having three, or some multiple of three, petals.

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 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 Pea Family .

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Petals