Floral Morphology

I know you didn’t sign up for a morphology class, but here goes.

Flower morphology

• morphology refers to the form or structure of an organism
• so here is a labeled diagram of a flower and all it’s parts
• the pedicel is the stem, simple enough, right?
• then come the sepals, the green almost leaf like structures
• those guys protect the petals when the flower is just a little bud
• stigma is the little flower within a flower where pollen grains land and fertilize the plant
• this pollen develops on the anthers of the flower that are supported by the filaments
• the flower can be pollinated with pollen from other flowers or pollen from itself
• it depends on the species of plant
• the style is the tube down which the pollen grain extends its pollen tube
• when that tube reaches the ovary, sperm are released and they fertilize the egg
• and we have flower sex

This may not be as exciting as root bridges, but basic knowledge can be expanded and applied to all sorts of situations. Expand your knowledge and ask new questions. That’s what living a life of curiosity is all about.