Flower Anatomy

The Basic Flower Parts

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. The flower consists of many different parts. Some of the most important parts being separated into both male and female parts.

Male Parts

Stamen
	This is the male part of the flower. It is made up of the filament and anther, it is the pollen producing part of the plant. The number of stamen is usually the same as the number of petals.
Anther
	This is the part of the stamen that produces and contains pollen. It is usually on top of a long stalk that looks like a fine hair.
Filamen
	This is the fine hair-like stalk that the anther sits on top of.
Pollen
	A fine to coarse powder consisting of (pollen grains), which produce the male sperm cells). A hard coat covering the pollen grain protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement between the stamens of the flower to the pistil of the next flower.

Female Parts

Pistil
	This is the female part of the flower. It is made up of the stigma, style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled leaflike structures.
Stigma
	One of the female parts of the flower. It is the sticky bulb that you see in the center of the flowers, it is the part of the pistil of a flower which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate.
Style
	Another female part of the flower. This is the long stalk that the stigma sits on top of.
Ovary
	The part of the plant, usually at the bottom of the flower, that has the seeds inside and turns into the fruit that we eat. The ovary contains ovules.
Ovule
	The part of the ovary that becomes the seeds.

Perianth

Petal (Corolla)
	The colorful, often bright part of the flower. They attract pollinators and are usually the reason why we buy and enjoy flowers.
Sepal (Calyx)
	The parts that look like little green leaves that cover the outside of a flower bud to protect the flower before it opens.

Stem

Receptacle
	The thickened part of a stem from which the flower organs grow.
Pedicel (Stem)
	A stem that attaches single flowers to the main stem of the inflorescence. It is the branches or stalks that hold each flower in an inflorescence that contains more than one flower.

Flower Types

Imperfect Flower
	A flower that has either all male parts or all female parts, but not both in the same flower. Examples: cucumbers, pumpkin, and melons.
Perfect Flower
	A flower that has both the male parts and female parts in the same flower. Examples: roses, lilies, and dandelion.