Main Parts of a Flower

A flower is the reproductive part of a plant. Although some plants reproduce without a flower, most plants rely on the intricate process of pollination in order to reproduce. Flowers might look very different from each other, but they all have the same basic parts.

Stamen

The stamen is the "male" part of the flower where the pollen is produced. The stamen has two main parts: the anthers and the filaments. Pollen is distributed through the anthers, which are located at the end of small stems called filaments. Anthers are usually yellow to help attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds. When it lands, an insect's legs rub against the anther and pick up some of the pollen. Individual pollen grains are too small to see with the unaided eye and often look like a fine, yellow powder.

Pistil

The "female" part of the flower, called the pistil, is much more complex than the stamen. The pistil is made up of the stigma, style and ovary. Pollen sticks to the sticky surface of the stigma, which is at the end of the tube-shaped style. The style leads to the ovary where the flower's ovules are stored. The style is usually quite long to help prevent pollen contamination.

Petals and Sepals

Like the anthers, colorful petals in interesting shapes and sizes help to attract pollinating insects. The small green leaves where the flower meets the stem are called sepals. They protect the flower when it is a young bud.

Male, Female or Both?

Some flowers have only male or only female parts. Others have both. Single sex flowers, called "imperfect" flowers, are found in melons, pumpkins and cucumbers. Flowers with both male and female parts are called "perfect" flowers and include dandelions, roses and lilies.

Pollination

Since flowers are not mobile, they must attract pollinators to them with sweet smells and bright colors. Sometimes pollen can be carried by the wind. Plants need to pollinate in order to reproduce. Pollen sticks to the legs of a bee when it lands on a flower to collect it. When it lands on a neighboring flower, the pollen from the first flower sticks to the second flower's stigma. The pollen travels down the style to the ovaries where fertilization takes place. The fertilized ovary grows into a fruit and the ovules become the seeds.

References

• Great Plant Escape
• Nature Grid