Blomblad

Blomblad is a Swedish term meaning “flower leaf” and is commonly used to refer to the petals of a flower. In botany, a petal is part of the corolla, the outer whorl of the flower’s perianth, and may be free or fused into a tube. Petals are typically colorful and sometimes scented, traits that help attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. They also protect the reproductive organs in the bud stage and can guide pollinators to nectar through visual or UV patterns.

Petals vary widely in number, shape, size, and symmetry. Many flowers have five petals, but some have fewer or more. Petal forms can be rounded, elongated, lobed, or fused into a tubular structure. The arrangement of petals can be described as actinomorphic (radially symmetric) or zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetric). Petals develop from the floral meristem as part of the flower’s organ identity programs.

In Swedish usage, there is some overlap between blomblad and the related term kronblad. Kronblad is a common term for an individual petal, while blomblad can be used more broadly to refer to the leaf-like parts of the corolla or to petals in a general sense. In scientific writing, kronblad is often preferred for specificity, whereas blomblad may appear in everyday language or horticultural descriptions.

Etymology: blomblad combines blom (flower) and blad (leaf). The concept is universal across flowering plants and is a key feature in systematics, horticulture, and plant anatomy.