labellum

1. The often enlarged petal of an orchid flower.
2. A liplike part, such as the tip of the proboscis of various insects, used for lapping up liquids.

[Latin, diminutive of labrum, lip.]

Mouthparts of insects; carry tubes for the passage of aspirated fluids.

Lip. Usually used to refer to the third petal of an orchid flower, modified by evolution into a lip that often serves as an attractive landing platform for pollinators.

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

P: Petalum
S: Sepalum
L: Labellum

The labellum (or Lip) is part of an Orchid, Canna or other less known flower that serves to attract insects that 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. ^{[1] [2]}

References

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

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