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sepal
[C] Countable
pl: sepals
This term describes the outermost protective layer of a flower. It carries a functional, biological connotation of guardianship, acting as a shield for the delicate inner reproductive organs during the early stages of growth. In botany, sepals are typically green and leaf-like, though in some species, like lilies, they are colored and look identical to petals, leading to the combined term tepals.
Used to count the individual leaf-like structures surrounding a flower bud.