Question

Explain the structure of a typical flower with the help of a diagram.

Answer 1

Parts of the flower:

1. The flower mainly consists of four parts the sepals, petals, stamens, and the carpels of the pistils.
2. The vegetative parts include the sepals and the petals whereas the reproductive parts include the stamens and the pistil.
3. The stamens represent the male reproductive part whereas the pistil or the carpel represents the female reproductive part.

Sepals:

1. They are small, leaf-like structures that grow at the base of the flower.
2. They are collectively known as the calyx.
3. These protect the flower at the bud stage.

Petals:

1. They are often bright color organs that lie just above the sepals.
2. They can be of various sizes, colors, and shapes.
3. They have the main function to attract insects for pollination.

Stamens:

1. They represent the male part of the flower.
2. They consist of the anther which is present at the head of the filament.
3. They are responsible for producing the male gametes or the pollen grains and the filament which helps in the attachment of the anther to the flower.

Pistil or Carpel:

1. It represents the female part of the flower.
2. It consists of style, stigma, and ovary, a collection of pistils that forms the gynoecium.
3. The stigma is formed at the head of the pistil and helps in the attachment of the pollen grains i.e. the male gametes.
4. Once the pollen is attached to the stigma, the style starts to form the pollen tube that helps to carry pollen grains to the ovaries.
5. The ovary is at the base of the flower and contains ovules which are the egg cells of the flower.