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Originally Posted by No-Pro-mwa
 Ok I thought maybe they had a different name sepel or something.  |
Sepals are the outer ones. If they formed as the outside of the bud then they are sepals, if they formed inside the bud they are petals. Took me a long time to realise this
On most non-orchids the sepals usually fold back and dry out and don't form part of the flower, all of the flower is petals. In orchids the sepals generally form part of the flower.
If you think of a phalaenopsis flower, there are 3 sepals, the one at the top and the 2 at the 4-oclock and 8-oclock positions. These form the outside of the bud when it's growing, then open to form part of the flower. There are then 2 petals at the 2-oclock and 10-oclock positions. These along with the lip formed inside the bud. The lip is actually a modified petal.
Most orchid flowers are a variant on this. Paphs often seem to have two sepals, the one at the top, and one that sits behind the pouch. Then two petals, some long and twirly, some more rounded like the shape we think of for petals. Then the pouch, which like the lip on Phals is a modified petal.
A Masdevallia is an interesting one, it has 3 sepals and the petals are so tiny you can hardly make them out. Took me a long while to work out how the Masdevallia flowers related to general orchid flower shape.
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