A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth) when these parts cannot easily be divided into two kinds, sepals and petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very similar appearance), as in Magnolia, or because, although it is possible to distinguish an outer whorl of sepals from an inner whorl of petals, the sepals and petals have similar appearance to one another (as in Lilium). The term was first proposed by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1827. (De Candolle used the term perigonium or perigone for the tepals collectively; today this term is used as a synonym for "perianth".)
Undifferentiated tepals are believed to be the ancestral condition in flowering plants. For example, Amborella, which is thought to have separated earliest in the evolution of flowering plants, has flowers with undifferentiated tepals. Distinct petals and sepals would therefore have arisen by differentiation, probably in response to animal pollination. In typical modern flowers, the outer or enclosing whorl of organs forms sepals, specialised for protection of the flower bud as it develops, while the inner whorl forms petals, which attract pollinators.
She was sitting on a stool in a little bar called the Seldom Scene When I walked over and said hi introduced myself
And what's your name I asked she just smiled
She was wearin' a tiny gold chain with the initials SS on the front And I said wait a minute you are Susie Smith she shook her head
Okay you're Sally Simpson...Sarah and before I could finish
She put her hand on mine and said look it's not important
And I said okay I'll just call you Double S and she nodded
And I said what are you drinkin' Double S she said Scotch'n'Soda
And I said Okay Double S one Scotch'n'Soda comin' up
You live around here I asked
No she said just killin' time till the morning
I got an early plane back to California I live near San Simeon
Oh and you'll be flyin' on a 7-0-7 no doubt I said
How did you know? she asked oh I guess I'm just super-smart
You gonna spend the rest of the night in this bar Double S
No she said I have a motel room I'm at the Surfing Sand
Can I give you a lift thanks
I rented a car but I don't drive it too well she answered
It's a stick-ship haha Double S you are something-special I said
And paid the town and we walked out in the cool evening breeze
She said across the seat and snuggled up close to my side
And I began to run my fingers through her hair
It was soft'n'silky. I opened the door to her room
My lips found her lips and I held her close
And whispered you are a super-sexy lady she simply smiled
I could feel her body slowly soften as her sensuous soul
Swiftly swept me into sublime serenity
Her plane left just as the morning
Sun began to softly streak the starry sky
She kissed me a soft solyuna waved a sultry so long from the window
And I never saw Double S again
Right now she's soaring somewhere above the clouds
And I'm walking home on one
And I just realized I never did find out what Double S stood for