Plant Parts - Flowers: Pistil

Plant Parts - Flowers
Flowers not only look pretty but, in fact, are

important in making seeds. Flowers have some
basic parts. The female part is the pistil. The
pistil usually is located in the center of the
flower and is made up of three parts:
the stigma,style, and ovary. The stigma is the sticky knob at
the top of the pistil. It is attached to the long, tubelike
structure called the style. The style leads to the ovary
that contains the female egg cells called ovules.
The male parts are called stamens and usually surround the
pistil. The stamen is made up of two parts:
the anther and filament. The anther produces pollen (male
reproductive cells). The filament holds the anther up.
During the process of fertilization, pollen lands on the stigma,

a tube grows down the style and enters the ovary. Male
reproductive cells travel down the tube and join with the
ovule, fertilizing it. The fertilized ovule becomes the seed,
and the ovary becomes the fruit.
Petals are also important parts of the flower, because

they help attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and
bats. You can also see tiny green leaf-like parts
called sepals at the base of the flower. They help to
protect the developing bud.
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Plant Morphology
The Parts of a Flower
Peduncle: The stalk of a flower.
Receptacle: The part of a flower stalk where the parts of the flower are
attached.
Sepal: The outer parts of the flower (often green and leaf-like) that enclose a
developing bud.
Petal: The parts of a flower that are often conspicuously colored.
Stamen: The pollen producing part of a flower, usually with a slender filament
supporting the anther.
Anther: The part of the stamen where pollen is produced.
Pistil: The ovule producing part of a flower. The ovary often supports a long
style, topped by a stigma. The mature ovary is a fruit, and the mature ovule is
a seed.
Stigma: The part of the pistil where pollen germinates.
Ovary: The enlarged basal portion of the pistil where ovules are produced.
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Flower Anatomy: The Parts of

a Flower
Last Updated: May 29, 2015
Get out your notebooks – it’s time for a lesson in flower anatomy! Most of us know about petals and
stems, but for you with curious minds, here’s a more thorough rundown of what makes a flower a
flower.
Petal
Petals are what give a flower its unique shape, and are often brightly colored to attract
insects and critters, which unwittingly aid in the fertilization of ovules through pollination.
Sepal
These are the small, leaf-like parts growing at the base of the petals. They serve to
protect the flower before it blossoms.
Peduncle
This refers to the stem or stalk of a flower.
Receptacle
This is the thickened part at the bottom of the flower which holds its major organs.
Pistil
This is the female organ of the flower. It consists of four major parts:
1. Stigma – The head of the pistil. The stigma receives pollen, which will begin the process
of fertilization.
2. Style – This is the name for the stalk of the pistil. When pollen reaches the stigma, it
begins to grow a tube through the style called a pollen tube, which will eventually reach
the ovary. The style therefore acts as a buffer against pollen contamination, since only
compatible pollen is able to grow a pollen tube.
3. Ovary – The base of the pistil. This organ holds the ovules awaiting fertilization.
4. Ovules – These are the flower’s eggs, located inside the ovary. Upon fertilization by
pollen, they will eventually grow into a seed. In fruit plants, pollen will not only spark the
growth of a seed, but a surrounding fruit as well.
Stamen
This is the male organ of the flower, consisting of two major parts:
1. Anther – The head of the stamen. The anther is responsible for the production of pollen,
which will hopefully be transported to the pistil by animals or insects, such as bees. This
is a crucial part of the reproduction of the plant.
2. Filament – This is the stalk that holds the anther and attaches it to the flower.
Making More Flowers

It’s amazing for nature to provide a flower with the ability to reproduce without the need
for a mate, but not all of them do!
Some flowers have only male or female organs, and require a separate flower of the
opposite gender to reproduce. We call these Imperfect Flowers. Perfect Flowers, on
the other hand, have both a stamen and a pistil, and are able to reproduce on their own.
Plants are majorly classified on basis of presence or absence of flower into flowering
and non- flowering plants. A flower is a characteristic feature of flowering plants and is
actually an extension of the shoot meant for reproduction. Flowers are attractive and
appear in different colours and shapes to attract pollinators who help in pollen transfer.
Parts of a Flower
(Source: anmh.org)
Most flowers have four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. The stamens
are the male part whereas the carpels are the female part of the flower. Most flowers
are hermaphrodite where they contain both male and female parts. Others may contain
one of the two parts and may be male or female.
 Peduncle: This is the stalk of the flower.
 Receptacle: It is that part of the flower to which the stalk is attached to. It is
small and found at the centre of the base of the flower.
 Sepals: These are the small, leaf-like parts growing at the base of the petals.
They form the outermost whorl of the flower. Collectively, sepals are known as
the calyx. The main function of the calyx and its sepals is to protect the flower
before it blossoms(in the bud stage).
 Petals: This layer lies just above the sepal layer. They are often bright in colour
as their main function is to attract pollinators such as insects, butterflies etc to the
flower. The petals are collectively known as the corolla.
 Stamens: These are the male parts of a flower. Many stamens are collectively
known as the androecium. They are structurally divided into two parts:
o Filament: the part that is long and slender and attached the anther to
the flower.
o Anthers: It is the head of the stamen and is responsible for producing
the pollen which is transferred to the pistil or female parts of the same or
another flower to bring about fertilization.
(Source: Wikipedia)
 Pistil: This forms the female parts of a flower. A collection of pistils is called the
gynoecium.
Pistil consists of four parts
(Source: Britannica)
a. Style -is a long slender stalk that holds the stigma. Once the pollen reaches the
stigma, the style starts to become hollow and forms a tube called the pollen tube
which takes the pollen to the ovaries to enable fertilization.
b. Stigma– This is found at the tip of the style. It forms the head of the pistil. The
stigma contains a sticky substance whose job is to catch pollen grains from
different pollinators or those dispersed through the wind. They are responsible to
begin the process of fertilization.
c. Ovary – They form the base of the pistil. The ovary holds the ovules.
d. Ovules– These are the egg cells of a flower. They are contained in the ovary. In
the event of a favorable pollination where a compatible pollen reaches the stigma
and eventually reaches the ovary to fuse with the ovules, this fertilized product
forms the fruit and the ovules become the seeds of the fruit.
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Plant Parts - Flowers

Flowers not only look pretty but, in fact, are

During the process of fertilization, pollen lands on the stigma,

Petals are also important parts of the flower, because

Go on to the next plant part >>>

Flower Anatomy: The Parts of

Making More Flowers

 Peduncle: This is the stalk of the flower.

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