(n) collective term for the outer parts of a flower consisting of the calyx and corolla and enclosing the stamens and pistils, Syn. perigone, floral envelope, perigonium, chlamys
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. [ Pref. peri- + Gr. &unr_; productive organs. ] 1. (Bot.) (a) Any organ inclosing the essential organs of a flower; a perianth. (b) In mosses, the involucral bracts of a male flower. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. (Zool.) A sac which surrounds the generative bodies in the gonophore of a hydroid. [ 1913 Webster ]