perianth n : collective term for the outer parts of a flower consisting of the calyx and corolla and enclosing the stamens and pistils [syn: chlamys, floral envelope, perigone, perigonium]

English

From Greek peri- (around) + Greek anthos (flower).

Noun

1. The sterile parts of a flower; collectively, the sepals and petals (or tepals).
2. The sterile, tubelike tissue that surrounds the female reproductive structure in a leafy liverwort.

Translations

The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:

• In flowering plants, the perianth is the outer, sterile whorls of a flower (see sepal, petal, and tepal).
• In a liverwort, perianth is the sterile tubelike tissue that surrounds the female reproductive structure (or developing sporophyte).