sepal

True hellebore flowers are relatively insignificant compared to the sturdy petallike sepals that protect the central reproductive parts of the bloom.

Plant biologists have long known that sepals, the modified leaves that surround a developing flower, contain some of these giant cells.

The Lenten rose is most prized for flowering early in the year, as early as February, and the blooms last for weeks because the outer “petals” are durable structures called sepals.

The flowers endure because the petals are in fact thick structures called sepals.

Goethe recognized that all the parts of a flower, from pistil to sepal, are modified leaves.