Labellum

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Showy Lady Slipper (Cypripedium reginae) has a pink labellum.

P: Petalum
S: Sepalum
L: Labellum

The labellum (or Lip) is a part of an orchid, Canna and many other flowers. It serves to attract insects that will pollinate the flower, and acts as a landing platform for those insects.

The labellum is a modified petal and can be distinguished from the other petals and from the sepals by its large size and its often irregular shape. It is not unusual for the other two petals of an orchid flower to look like the sepals, so that the labellum stands out as distinct.

[edit] References

Bailey, L.H. - Canna x orchiodes. Gentes Herb. (Ithaca), 1 (3): 120 (1923).
Chaté, E. - Le Canna, 1866.
Khoshoo, T.N. & Guha, I. - Origin and Evolution of Cultivated Cannas. Vikas Publishing House.