calices

Calices, the plural of calyx, is a term used in botany and anatomy to describe cup-shaped structures. In botany, a calyx is the outermost envelope of a flower, comprised of the sepals. The calyx protects the developing bud and may persist after flowering in some species. Sepals can be separate or fused and may be equal in size or reduced. Some plant groups have an epicalyx, an additional whorl outside the calyx, and others have colorful or leafy sepals that contribute to pollinator attraction or fruit protection. The calyx, together with the corolla, forms the perianth, the non-reproductive portion of the flower, and its morphology can be important in plant classification.

In anatomy, calices (renal calyces) are cup-shaped extensions of the kidney that collect urine carried from the papillae of the renal pyramids. There are minor calyces, which receive urine directly from the renal papillae, and major calyces, into which all urine from the minor calyces drains before urine passes into the renal pelvis and then the ureter. The calyceal system is part of the renal collecting system; variation in calyx size and number can be relevant in imaging and surgery and may be involved in certain urinary disorders such as calyceal diverticula or dilation (hydronephrosis).