(Book) Reproduction
Plant Reproduction
Parts of a Flower
Flowers have both male and female reproductive parts. The main parts of a flower are shown in Figure below. They include the stamen, pistil, petals, and sepals.
A flower includes both male and female reproductive structures.
The stamen is the male reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of a stalk-like filament. At the end of the filament is the anther. The anther contains pollen sacs. It is here the pollen grains form. The filament raises the anther up high. This helps the pollen to be more likely to be carried away. It may blow in the wind. It may be picked up by an animal and carried away. Many animals are pollinators. A pollinator is any animal who carries the pollen from one plant to another.
The pistil is the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of a stigma, style, and ovary. The stigma is raised. It is also sticky to help catch pollen. The style supports the stigma and connects it to the ovary. The ovary contains the egg.
Petals attract animals to the flower. Petals are often brightly colored. Bright colors make them easier for animals to see.
Sepals protect the developing flower while it is still a bud. Sepals are usually green. Sepals camouflage the bud from animals that may eat it for food.