Style
/staɪl/
Definition
Style refers to the slender stalk-like part of a flower’s pistil, the female reproductive structure, that connects the ovary at the base to the stigma at the tip. After pollen lands on the stigma, a pollen tube typically grows through the style to reach the ovules in the ovary. Its length, shape, and position can help distinguish flower forms and affect pollination.
Function in Plants
- Pollen tube pathway: After pollination, the pollen tube grows through the style to reach the ovary. This link between stigma and ovary helps successful fertilization by guiding male cells toward the ovules.
- Control of compatibility: In many flowering plants, the style helps screen pollen. Chemical interactions in its tissues can allow compatible pollen to continue growing while slowing or stopping incompatible pollen.
- Variation across species: Length, branching, and position differ widely among plant groups. These traits can affect which pollinators contact the stigma and are often useful features in flower identification.
- Clues during pollination and seed set: Damage or poor development in the style can reduce fertilization because pollen tubes may not reach the ovary. In gardens and greenhouses, this can be one reason flowers fail to form fruits or seeds.
Related Terms
Stigma
Stigma is the pollen-receptive tip or surface of a flower’s pistil, the female reproductive structure. It is usually…
Ovary
Ovary refers to the enlarged basal part of a flower’s pistil, or female reproductive structure, that contains one or…
Pistil
Pistil refers to the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of one carpel or several fused carpels and…
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is the female reproductive structure of a flower. It consists of one or more carpels, which may be separate…
Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower, the anther, to the female part, the stigma, of…
Fertilization
Fertilization in plants refers to the biological process in which a male gamete from pollen fuses with a female gamete…
Ovule
Ovule is the seed-producing structure inside a flower’s ovary, or on the scales of cones in gymnosperms. It contains…