Sympetaly

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Having petals that are fused or joined together into a single structure rather than remaining separate and distinct
2. Characterized by petals that are united or connected to each other to form a continuous corolla
3. Describing a flower whose petals are joined together as one piece instead of being completely free from one another

Etymology: Sympetaly is the condition of a flower whose petals are joined into a single tube or bell rather than standing free. The term is built from Greek "syn," meaning together, and "petalon," meaning leaf, with the English suffix "-y" that turns a quality into a noun. Botanists also use "gamopetaly," from Greek "gamos" for union or marriage, for the same fused arrangement. The Greek "petalon" first meant a leaf or thin, flat plate, and it grew from a root meaning to spread out. That flatness is why a flower's showy outer leaves took the name. A flower with fused petals is still a set of spread-out leaves, grown together into one structure.

Synonyms: gamopetaly