Floral components

Usage examples of sepals.

We start with the seed, from which we first imagine the cotyledons unfolding, letting this be followed by the gradual development of the entire green part of the plant, its stem and leaves, until the final leaves change into the sepals of the calyx.

But as soon as the petals wither, the sepals rise up and enclose the young capsule, forming a perfect roof over it as soon as the subpeduncle has bent itself downwards.

The sepals, which enclose the ovarium whilst it is young, present an additional adaptation by expanding widely when the seeds are ripe, so as not to interfere with their dispersal.

Side by side, two buds have been tossing jauntily in the breeze, often brought very near to each other, sometimes touching for a moment, with a secret thrill in their close-folded heart-leaves, it may be, but still the cool green sepals shutting tight over the burning secret within.

The limbs which had mimicked sepals struggled vainly for purchase upon the thorny green rings on which they had been mounted.

They all seemed unnaturally large and bright, and every one presented a great fan or bell of petals and sepals, surrounding a complex network of stamens and compound styles.

The flowerpeduncles, sepals, and petals, are studded with glandular hairs, like those on the leaves.

The flowerpeduncles, sepals and petals, bear glands in general appearance like those on the leaves.

It is familiar to almost every one, that in a flower the relative position of the sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils, as well as their intimate structure, are intelligible on the view that they consist of metamorphosed leaves, arranged in a spire.

Why should the sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils in any individual flower, though fitted for such widely different purposes, be all constructed on the same pattern?