counter for scraps, fragments, petals, etc.
Used for small, flat, or broken-off pieces. Common with things like paper scraps, flower petals, or torn cloth. Often appears with the reading いっぺん for one piece.
See also: 一片 (いっぺん)
紙が一枚と、その一片が床に落ちていた。
A sheet of paper and a scrap of it had fallen on the floor.
花びらが一片、風に舞っている。
A single petal is dancing in the wind.
Two petals fell to the ground in the wind.
Three scraps of the torn letter were left on the desk.
枚 is the general counter for flat objects like paper or plates, while 片 specifically counts small broken-off fragments or petals rather than whole items.
片（へん）counts small fragments or petals, while 編（へん）counts volumes or parts of a written work; they sound identical but count completely different things.
片（へん）is a counter for fragments or petals, while 遍（へん）is a counter for the number of times something is done, despite sharing the same reading.
片（へん）counts small broken pieces, while 辺（へん）refers to an area or vicinity, and the two are easy to mix up by sound alone.
Standard kanji spelling for this counter.
The kanji 片 originally depicts a split piece of wood, giving rise to the meaning 'fragment' or 'one side'. The counter use is a natural extension.