REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTERS

Floral characters are generally used more often than seed and fruit characters.

Pedicel - stalk of an individual flower

Sepals - member of outer whorl of a flower, usually small and green

Petals - member of second whorl of a flower, often large and showy

Stamen - member of whorl of male sex parts

Anther - structure containing pollen grains

Andorecium - collective term for stamens

Stigma - receptive surface for pollen

Style - connects stigma to ovary

Locule/Cell - chamber containing ovules

Ovary - basal portion of pistil where Ovules are located, Ovary develops into fruit and Ovules develop into seeds.

Placenta - place of attachment of ovules within ovary

Carpel - structure enclosing ovules

Pistil - collective term for carpels

Simple pistil - composed of 1 carpel

Compound or syncarpous pistil - composed of 2 or more fused carpels

Gynoecium - collective term for pistils. It can be composed of one simple pistil (Unicarpellate), many simple pistils (Apocarpous), or a compound pistil (Syncarpous).

Perfect flower - having both stamens and pistils

Complete flower - having sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils

Monoecious - stamens and pistils in separate flowers on same individual

Dioecious - staminate (male) and pistillate (female) flowers on different individuals