The pistil

The idea

The pistil is the female part of a flower: the stigma at its tip, a thin long style connecting the stigma to the ovary, and the ovary, which contains ovules each with an egg cell.

Tip, tube and base

The middle of a flower has a part with a tip, a thin long tube and a rounded base.

What do you think the rounded base holds?

• The structures with the female gametes
• The pollen grains
• The petals

Look at the pistil

Open each tab to look closer.

The female part

The tip was the stigma, the tube was the style, and the rounded base was the ovary, which holds the ovules.

The pistil is the female part of a flower: the stigma at its tip, a thin long style connecting the stigma to the ovary, and the ovary, which contains ovules, each with an egg cell.

Notes

The pistil is the female part: stigma (tip), style (thin long tube) and ovary with ovules, each with an egg cell.

Check yourself

Which part of a flower is the female part?

Which part of the pistil is at the tip and may be flat or sticky?

Which part is the thin long tube that connects the stigma to the ovary?

What does the ovary contain?

• The pistil — correct. Yes!
• The stamen. The stamen is the male part.
• The petal. Petals are the coloured projections of the flower, not its female part.
• The ovary. The ovary is the base of the pistil. It contains the ovules.
• The stigma — correct. Yes!
• The style. The style is the thin long tube joining the stigma to the ovary.
• The filament. The filament is part of the stamen, not of the pistil.
• The anther. The anther is part of the stamen and produces pollen grains.
• The style — correct. Yes!
• Ovules, each with an egg cell — correct. Yes!
• Pollen grains with male gametes. Pollen grains are made in the anther of the stamen.
• Sepals. Sepals are the green outer covering and are separate from the pistil.