Floral and Reproductive Parts Flashcards
What is the Sepal?
The outermost, or lowermost, segment of the flower.
What do Sepals do?
- Protect the floral bud or open flower.
- (Sometimes) Protect the developing fruit.
- (Sometimes) Attract pollinators alongside, or in lieu of, the petals.
What do the Sepals altogether form?
The Calyx of the flower.
What is the Petal?
The primary organ in a flower for attracting pollinators.
What do Petals do?
- Attract pollinators.
- Act as a landing pad for pollinators.
- Form a tube to hold nectar.
What do the Petals altogether form?
The Corolla of the flower.
What is the Stamen?
The “male” reproductive organ of the flower.
What do the Stamens do?
They produce and distribute pollen to the pollinators or to the wind. Stamens also serve to attract pollinators in cases when petals are not present.
What is a “Staminate”?
A flower bearing only stamens.
What is the Pistil?
The “female” reproductive organ of the flower.
What does the Pistil do?
The pistil protects the ovules that become the seed(s) if the flower is pollinated and fertilized, which then part of the pistil becomes the fruit.
How many Pistils does a flower have?
This can be one in the center, or many in a cluster in the center, depending on the floral family.
What is a “Pistillate”?
A flower bearing only pistils.
What are the two parts of the Stamen?
The Filament and the Anther
What is the Filament?
The part of the stamen that holds up the anther.
What is the Anther?
The organ that produces and releases pollen
What three parts make up the Pistil, and what is contained in the lowermost part?
The Stigma, the Style, and the Ovary which contains the Ovules that become seeds when fertilized.
What is the Ovary?
The enlarged basal part of the pistil that houses the immature seed.
What is the Style?
The stalk of the pistil that connects the stigma to the ovary.
What is the Stigma?
The tip of the pistil that catches the pollen.
What are three of the non-pollinating ways that plants can reproduce?
- Sending out runners.
- Growing bulbs.
- Making new plants from cuttings.
What is Pollination?
The transfer of pollen from one flower’s stamen to another flower’s stigma, sometimes resulting in fertilization - the genetic exchange between plants.
What is Inflorescence?
The flowering part of a plant, including any accessory floral organs.
Describe a Regular Flower
A radially symmetrical flower, where all of the petals or sepals are similar in size and appearance.
