How to Label Seed-Producing Parts of a Flower
In a flowering plant, pollen produced by the male stamens finds the female pistil, where fertilization occurs and the seed first forms. Most plants contain both male and female parts within the same flower. These flowers are classified as hermaphroditic and this type of flower is often used in botanical diagrams. Here are some guidelines for labeling the different parts of a complete flower.
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Instructions
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Labeling Flower Parts
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Identify the sepals and petals. These are not part of the reproduction system, but they are part of the flower, so it is a good idea to display this information in a diagram. The petals, which are often brightly colored, are the inner whorl of leaf-like structures, and the sepals are the outer whorl of leaves (often green in color) located outside the petals. Sometimes the petals and sepals are almost identical in both color and shape, but usually they are different.
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2
Locate the male stamens, which are the numerous bands of stalks that surround the central structure of the flower. They are often brightly-colored and covered with pollen. The stalk is referred to as the filament and the head, which produces the pollen, is called the anther.
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3
Find the central vase-like structure that is located at the center of the flower. The whole piece is called the pistil and the opening at the top, which has a wide diameter to capture the pollen is called the stigma. The long neck that leads to the base is called the style and the base is referred to as the ovary. After all the parts of the pistil have been identified, the whole pistil can be removed for dissection.
Dissecting Flower Parts
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Remove the pistil from the flower and set it on a sheet of white paper.
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Cut the pistil in half by making a cross section of the base at its widest point with the single-edge razor blade. This is the part of the flower that produces the seed, and so depending on what stage of the life cycle the flower is in, you should be able to see how many chambers exist within the flower. There could be just one or there could be many.
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Look for compartments within the cross-section of the flower. A flower may have only one chamber or it could have multiple compartments. Each section is referred to as a carpel, and each carpel is capable of producing many seeds---or it may produce just one.
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Tips & Warnings
Choose a large showy flower with both male and female parts to diagram.
Composite flowers (sunflowers, daisies, dandelions) are very different and complex flowers.
Handle the razor blade carefully to avoid cutting yourself.
