Flowers present receptacle, pedicel, perianth comprising sepals, petals, androecium and gynoecium. The androecium is constituted by stamens, each, in turn, comprising anthers and filaments. On the other hand, the Gynoecium is made of one or many carpels forming the ovary, stigma and style.
Androecium and gynoecium are referred to as essential/reproductive whorls of a flower. Androecium produces pollen grains comprising male gametes, while the gynoecium produces ovules that are female gametes.
Bisexual flowers comprise both the whorls, while the unisexual flowers comprise either of them. Each of the members of androecium is referred to as stamen and comprises an anther and filament. Anthers produce haploid pollen grains. Each member of the gynoecium is referred to as the pistil, comprising style, stigma and ovary.
Androecium refers to the male part of the flowers, whereas gynoecium refers to the female part of the flower. This is the main difference between androecium and gynoecium.
Androecium
- It forms the third whorl of flowers, comprising stamens
- Stamen is the male reproductive structure of flowers. Each of these stamens is in turn composed of anther and filament
Gynoecium
- It forms the fourth and last whorls of the flower, comprising carpel or pistil
- Pistil forms the female reproductive structure of the flower. Each pistil comprises style, ovary and stigma
- Carpels or multiple fused carpels form a hollow structure referred to as ovaries producing ovules
Key differences between Androecium and Gynoecium
The table below depicts the differences between Androecium and Gynoecium
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Male |
Female |
|
|
|
|
Seen in flowers, these are the male fertilising structures comprising pollen, which in turn contains filament and anther |
Seen in flowers, these comprise stigma, style and ovary |
|
|
|
|
Anthers and filaments |
Ovary, style and stigma |
|
|
|
|
Flowers with no androecium are referred to as carpellate or pistillate |
Flowers with no gynoecium are referred to as staminate |
|
|
|
|
Not involved |
Involved, takes place in the ovary |
|
|
|
|
Microgametocytes |
Megagametocytes |
|
|
|
|
Not involved |
Promotes the development of seeds and fruits |
|
|
|
|
Involved in the production and release of pollen grains |
Involved in the reception of pollen grains and in the formation of the pollen tube, and provides ovules for fertilisation |
You read some differences between Androecium and Gynoecium. For more such articles, visit us at BYJU’S NEET.
More here:
