A tepal is a flower part. Generally, flowers contain two sets of lower lobes in their perianth, sepals and petals. Sepals are generally green, bractlike structures at the base of the flower, and petals are generally the showy, larger portions of the flower we are used to seeing. However, in some flowers, like those of Cactaceae, there is no distinction between sepals and petals, and the lobes are all referred to as tepals.