petal

One of the second whorl of flower parts, collectively termed the corolla. It is usually large and brightly coloured to attract pollinators, but is sometimes pale, reduced, or absent.

A petal (Greek: leaf, tablet), regarded as a highly modified leaf, is one member or part of the corolla of a flower. The corolla is the name for all of the petals of a flower; In a "typical" flower the petals are showy and colored and surround the reproductive parts. The number of petals in a flower (see merosity) is indicative of the plant's classification: dicots 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 plants. 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.

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'). In irregular flowers, other floral parts may be modified from the regular form, but the petals show the greatest deviation from radial symmetry. The petal is the colorful, often showy part of a plant.