Pistil
/ˈpɪstəl/
Definition
Pistil refers to the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of one carpel or several fused carpels and usually includes the stigma, style, and ovary. The stigma receives pollen, the style connects it to the ovary, and the ovary contains ovules, which can develop into seeds after fertilization. A pistil may be single in a flower or one of several separate female units, depending on the species.
Function in Plants
- Site of fertilization: After compatible pollen lands and grows, the pollen tube travels through this structure to deliver sperm cells to the ovule, where fertilization begins seed development.
- Fruit formation link: Its ovary is the part that usually enlarges after fertilization and becomes the fruit, so successful reproduction here directly affects seed set and crop yield.
- Clue for flower identification: The number, shape, and fusion of its parts help botanists describe and identify flowers, and these traits are often useful in plant classification.
- Relevance in pollination work: In breeding or hand-pollination, growers pay close attention to when it is receptive, because timing influences whether pollen can germinate and reach the ovules.
Related Terms
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of one or more carpels, which may be separate…
Ovary
Ovary refers to the enlarged basal part of a flower’s pistil, or female reproductive structure, that contains one or…
Style
Style refers to the slender stalk-like part of a flower’s pistil, the female reproductive structure, that connects the…
Stigma
Stigma is the pollen-receptive tip or surface of a flower’s pistil, the female reproductive structure. It is usually…
Ovule
Ovule is the seed-producing structure inside a flower’s ovary, or on the scales of cones in gymnosperms. It contains…
Placenta
Placenta refers to the tissue inside a flower’s ovary where one or more ovules are attached. It is a plant structure…
Placentation
Placentation describes the arrangement of ovules inside a flower’s ovary and the way they are attached to the placenta…