The Language Of Valentine Poem by Alexandre Nodopaka

Collectively the sepals are called
the calyx and if you speak of many
the plural is calyces.

Can you imagine the reaction
when you give someone a bouquet
of calyces?

As you see, you are immediately
confronted by alien vocabulary
where the outermost whorl of parts

forming a flower might not be
undertsood by the Valentine recipient.
The word calyx, adopted from

the Latin calyx, not to be confused
with calix, a cup or goblet.
Calyx derived from the Greek καλυξ

(kalyx) , a bud, a calyx, a husk or
wrapping, from Sanskrit kalika,
a bud, while calix derived

from the Greek κυλιξ (kylix) , a cup
or goblet, and the words have been
used interchangeably

in botanical Latin but your girlfriend
or boyfriend
would not understand a pistil of it.