Flowers are the most attractive and the only reproductive part of a plant. They are the precious gifts of nature, which have a unique beauty and pleasant scents. Flowers undergo pollination to produce new seeds. Overall, flowers form one of the major parts of the morphology of a flowering plant.
Table of Contents
All vascular and flowering plants (angiosperms) bear flowers and according to the records, the flowering plants appeared around 140 million years ago. Altogether there are more than 400,000 species of flowering plants, also called angiosperms.
Refer More: Morphology of Flowering Plants
Parts of a Flower
The most significant parts of a flower include:
- Pistils
- Petals
- Sepals
- Stamens
The petals and sepals are called the vegetative part of a flower, whereas the stamen and pistil are called the reproductive parts of a flower
Longitudinal Section of Flower
Here is the L.S or the longitudinal section of a flower.
In the above longitudinal section of a flower, the flower consists of both male and female reproductive parts.
- Stamens are called the male reproductive part of the flower.
- Pistil or Carpel are called the female reproductive parts of the flower.
Refer More: Flower and Inflorescence
Let’s learn more in detail about the longitudinal section of a flower.
Ovary
It is the ductless reproductive gland of a flower, which plays a major role in the formation of seeds. This gland also functions as a storage of eggs or ovules.
Style
It is the adapted portion of the pistil, which is a long and tube-like slender stalk. It functions by connecting the stigma and the ovary, which contains the female egg cells called ovules.
Stigma
It is the adapted portion of the pistil, which is present at the uppermost part or receptive tip of carpels in the female reproductive parts of a flower.
Pistil
The inner, female reproductive organ flower is called the pistil. It mainly comprises three parts -stigma, style and ovary. All these three parts are collectively known as the pistil.
Anther
It is A yellowish, four-lobed sac-like structure, which is responsible for the production and storage of pollen grains.
Filament
A thread-like structure is attached to the anther and functions by aligning the anther in its place.
Stamen
It is the male reproductive part of a flower, which is also known as Androecium. It mainly comprises an anther and filament.
Petals
This is a bright-coloured part of a flower, which plays a vital role during pollination by attracting the pollinating agents – bees, insects and birds for pollination. The Colour of petals generally varies from plant to plant. Some plants have dark or bright-coloured petals, while some carry light or pale-coloured petals.
Sepals
Sepals are the modified leaves of flowering plants. They are green-coloured parts present beneath the petals, which protect the rising buds. Some flowers have fused petals-sepals, while a few have separated petals-sepals.
A complete flower comprises four whorls: Calyx, Corolla, Stamens and Carpels.
Calyx
It is the first and the outermost whorl of a flower, which comprises units called sepals, a tiny leaf at the base of the flower. During the bud stage, the calyx functions by protecting the flower by enclosing the complete flower. It also protects the flower whorls from mechanical injuries and desiccation.
Corolla
It is the second whorl of a flower, which consists of many numbers of petals. These petals are sometimes fragrant and are coloured, thin and soft which would help in the process of pollination by attracting the pollinators- animals, birds and insects. It also functions by protecting the reproductive parts of a flower.
Stamens
Stamen is also known as the third whorl of the flower and is the male reproductive part. It consists of a filament, which is a thread-like structure with a circular structure, present on the top. Pollen is produced by the anther, which contributes to the male reproductive process of the plant. All the stamens do not bear fertile anthers.
Carpels
The carpel is the fourth whorl of the flower, which is present in the centre. Each carpel is composed of stigma, style and ovary. The carpels contain the pistil, the female reproductive part of the flower.
Also Refer: Flower
This article concludes with an introduction to the flower and its longitudinal section.
To know more about the flower, their types, functions, longitudinal section of the flower, other related topics and important questions, keep visiting our website at BYJU’S Biology.
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