Gynoecium

Hippeastrum stigmas and style

Flower of Magnolia wieseneri showing the many pistils making

up the gynoecium in the middle of the ower

Moss plants with gynoecia, clusters of archegonia at the apex of

each shoot.

The term gynoecium is also used by botanists to refer

to a cluster of archegonia and any associated modied
Hippeastrum owers showing stamens, style and stigma
leaves or stems present on a gametophyte shoot in mosses,
Gynoecium (from Ancient Greek , gyne, meaning liverworts and hornworts.
woman, and , oikos, meaning house) is most com- Flowers that bear a gynoecium but no androecium are
monly used as a collective term for the parts of a ower called carpellate. Flowers lacking a gynoecium are
that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit called staminate.
and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of (one
or more) pistils in a ower and is typically surrounded by The gynoecium is often referred to as female because it
the pollen-producing reproductive organs, the stamens, gives rise to female (egg-producing) gametophytes, howsporophytes do not have sex, only
collectively called the androecium. The gynoecium is ever, strictly speaking
[1]
gametophytes
do.
often referred to as the "female" portion of the ower,
although rather than directly producing female gametes Gynoecium development and arrangement is important
(i.e. egg cells), the gynoecium produces megaspores, in systematic research and identication of angiosperms,
each of which develops into a female gametophyte which but can be the most challenging of the oral parts to
then produces egg cells.
interpret.[2]
1

Pistils

of one carpel, with its ovary, style and stigma, or several

carpels may be joined together with a single ovary, the
whole unit called a pistil. The gynoecium may consist of
one or more uni-carpellate (with one carpel) pistils, or of
one multi-carpellate pistil.

Mature Flower
Stigma
Style
Filament
Connective
Ovule
Perianth
Petal:Corolla
Sepal:Calyx
Anther
Microsporangium
Floral axis
Ovary

Articulation

TYPES OF GYNOECIA

Carpels are thought to be phylogenetically derived

from ovule-bearing leaves or leaf homologues
(megasporophylls), which evolved to form a closed
structure containing the ovules.
This structure is
typically rolled and fused along the margin.

Stamen

Although many owers satisfy the above denition of a

carpel, there are also owers that do not have carpels
according to this denition because in these owers
A monocarpous (single carpel) gynoecium in context. The gynoe- the ovule(s), although enclosed, are borne directly on
cium (whether composed of a single carpel or multiple fused the shoot apex, and only later become enclosed by the
carpels) is typically made up of an ovary, style, and stigma as in
carpel.[5][9] Dierent remedies have been suggested for
the center of the ower.
this problem. An easy remedy that applies to most cases
is to redene the carpel as an appendage that encloses
The gynoecium may consist of one or more separate ovule(s) and may or may not bear them.[6][7][10]
pistils. A pistil typically consists of an expanded basal
portion called the ovary, an elongated section called a
style and an apical structure that receives pollen called
a stigma.
Nectary

Pedicel

The ovary (from Latin ovum meaning egg), is the

enlarged basal portion which contains placentas,
ridges of tissue bearing one or more ovules (integumented megasporangia). The placentas and/or
ovule(s) may be born on the gynoecial appendages
or less frequently on the oral apex.[3][4][5][6][7] The
chamber in which the ovules develop is called a
locule (or sometimes cell).
The style (from Ancient Greek stlos meaning a
pillar), is a pillar-like stalk through which pollen
tubes grow to reach the ovary. Some owers such
as Tulipa do not have a distinct style, and the stigma
sits directly on the ovary. The style is a hollow tube
in some plants such as lilies, or has transmitting tisCentre of a Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup) showing
sue through which the pollen tubes grow.[8]
multiple unfused carpels surrounded by longer stamens

The stigma (from Ancient Greek , stigma

meaning mark, or puncture), is usually found at the
tip of the style, the portion of the carpel(s) that receives pollen (male gametophytes). It is commonly
sticky or feathery to capture pollen.

3 Types of gynoecia

If a gynoecium has a single carpel, it is called monocarThe word pistil comes from Latin pistillum meaning pous. If a gynoecium has multiple, distinct (free, unpestle. A sterile pistil in a male ower is referred to as fused) carpels, it is apocarpous. If a gynoecium has mula pistillode.
tiple carpels fused into a single structure, it is syncarpous. A syncarpous gynoecium can sometimes appear
very much like a monocarpous gynoecium.

Carpels

The pistils of a ower are considered to be composed of

carpels. A carpel is a theoretical construct interpreted
as modied leaves bearing structures called ovules, inside
which the egg cells ultimately form. A pistil may consist

The degree of connation (fusion) in a syncarpous gynoecium can vary. The carpels may be fused only at
their bases, but retain separate styles and stigmas. The
carpels may be fused entirely, except for retaining separate stigmas. Sometimes (e.g., Apocynaceae) carpels
are fused by their styles or stigmas but possess distinct

3
the evolution of owering plants. Some processes that
have been considered congenital (phylogenetic) fusions
appear to be non-fusion processes such as, for example,
the de novo formation of intercalary growth in a ring zone
at or below the base of primordia.[12][13][10] Therefore, it
is now increasingly acknowledged that the term 'fusion,'
as applied to phylogeny (as in 'congenital fusion') is illadvised.[14]

4 Gynoecium position

Cross-section through the ovary of Narcissus showing multiple

connate carpels (a compound pistil) fused along the placental
line where the ovules form in each locule

ovaries. In a syncarpous gynoecium, the fused ovaries

of the constituent carpels may be referred to collectively
as a single compound ovary. It can be a challenge to determine how many carpels fused to form a syncarpous gynoecium. If the styles and stigmas are distinct, they can
usually be counted to determine the number of carpels.
Within the compound ovary, the carpels may have distinct locules divided by walls called septa. If a syncarpous gynoecium has a single style and stigma and a single
locule in the ovary, it may be necessary to examine how
the ovules are attached. Each carpel will usually have a
distinct line of placentation where the ovules are attached.

3.1

Pistil development

Flowers and fruit (capsules) of the ground orchid, Spathoglottis

plicata, illustrating an inferior ovary.

Pistils begin as small primordia on a oral apical meristem, forming later than, and closer to the (oral) apex Basal angiosperm groups tend to have carpels arranged
than sepal, petal and stamen primordia. Morphological spirally around a conical or dome-shaped receptacle. In
and molecular studies of pistil ontogeny reveal that later lineages, carpels tend to be in whorls.
carpels are most likely homologous to leaves.
A carpel has a similar function to a megasporophyll, but
typically includes a stigma, and is fused, with ovules enclosed in the enlarged lower portion, the ovary.[11]
In some basal angiosperm lineages, Degeneriaceae and
Winteraceae, a carpel begins as a shallow cup where the
ovules develop with laminar placentation, on the upper
surface of the carpel. The carpel eventually forms a
folded, leaf-like structure, not fully sealed at its margins.
No style exists, but a broad stigmatic crest along the margin allows pollen tubes access along the surface and be- Illustration showing longitudinal sections through hypogynous
(a), perigynous (b), and epigynous (c) owers
tween hairs at the margins.[11]
Two kinds of fusion have been distinguished: postgenital fusion that can be observed during the development
of owers, and congenital fusion that cannot be observed
i.e., fusions that occurred during phylogeny. But it is very
dicult to distinguish fusion and non-fusion processes in

The relationship of the other ower parts to the gynoecium can be an important systematic and taxonomic
character. In some owers, the stamens, petals, and
sepals are often said to be fused into a oral tube or
hypanthium. However, as Leins & Erbar (2010) pointed

4
out, the classical view that the wall of the inferior ovary
results from the congenital fusion of dorsal carpel anks
and the oral axis does not correspond to the ontogenetic
processes that can actually be observed. All that can be
seen is an intercalary growth in a broad circular zone that
changes the shape of the oral axis (receptacle).[10] And
what happened during evolution is not a phylogenetic fusion but the formation of a unitary intercalary meristem.
Evolutionary developmental biology investigates such developmental processes that arise or change during evolution.

7 ROLE OF THE STIGMA AND STYLE

attached to a central column that arises directly from the
oral apex (axis). In some cases a single ovule is attached
to the bottom or top of the locule (basal or apical placentation, respectively).

6 The ovule
Main article: Ovule
In owering plants, the ovule (from Latin ovulum mean-

If the hypanthium is absent, the ower is hypogynous, and

the stamens, petals, and sepals are all attached to the receptacle below the gynoecium. Hypogynous owers are
often referred to as having a superior ovary. This is the
typical arrangement in most owers.
If the hypanthium is present up to the base of the style(s),
the ower is epigynous. In an epigynous ower, the stamens, petals, and sepals are attached to the hypanthium
at the top of the ovary or, occasionally, the hypanthium
may extend beyond the top of the ovary. Epigynous owers are often referred to as having an inferior ovary. Plant Longitudinal section of carpellate ower of squash showing
ovary, ovules, stigma, style, and petals
families with epigynous owers include orchids, asters,
and evening primroses.
ing small egg) is a complex structure born inside ovaries.
Between these two extremes are perigynous owers, in The ovule initially consists of a stalked, integumented
which a hypanthium is present, but is either free from megasporangium (also called the nucellus). Typically,
the gynoecium (in which case it may appear to be a cup one cell in the megasporangium undergoes meiosis reor tube surrounding the gynoecium) or connected partly sulting in one to four megaspores. These develop into a
to the gynoecium (with the stamens, petals, and sepals megagametophyte (often called the embryo sac) within
attached to the hypanthium part of the way up the ovary). the ovule. The megagametophyte typically develops a
Perigynous owers are often referred to as having a half- small number of cells, including two special cells, an egg
inferior ovary (or, sometimes, partially inferior or half- cell and a binucleate central cell, which are the gametes
superior). This arrangement is particularly frequent in the involved in double fertilization. The central cell, once fertilized by a sperm cell from the pollen becomes the rst
rose family and saxifrages.
cell of the endosperm, and the egg cell once fertilized beOccasionally, the gynoecium is born on a stalk, called the
come the zygote that develops into the embryo. The gap
gynophore, as in Isomeris arborea.
in the integuments through which the pollen tube enters
to deliver sperm to the egg is called the micropyle. The
stalk attaching the ovule to the placenta is called the fu5 Placentation
niculus.
Main article: Ovule

7 Role of the stigma and style

Within the ovary, each ovule is born by a placenta or
arises as a continuation of the oral apex. The placentas
often occur in distinct lines called lines of placentation. In
monocarpous or apocarpous gynoecia, there is typically
a single line of placentation in each ovary. In syncarpous
gynoecia, the lines of placentation can be regularly spaced
along the wall of the ovary (parietal placentation), or
near the center of the ovary. In the latter case, separate
terms are used depending on whether or not the ovary is
divided into separate locules. If the ovary is divided, with
the ovules born on a line of placentation at the inner angle
of each locule, this is axile placentation. An ovary with
free central placentation, on the other hand, consists of
a single compartment without septae and the ovules are

Main article: Stigma (botany)

Stigmas can vary from long and slender to globe-shaped
to feathery. The stigma is the receptive tip of the
carpel(s), which receives pollen at pollination and on
which the pollen grain germinates. The stigma is
adapted to catch and trap pollen, either by combining
pollen of visiting insects or by various hairs, aps, or
sculpturings.[15]
The style and stigma of the ower are involved in
most types of self incompatibility reactions. Selfincompatibility, if present, prevents fertilization by pollen

[5] Sattler, R. & Lacroix, C. (1988).

Development
and evolution of basal cauline placentation: Basella
rubra". American Journal of Botany. 75: 918927.
doi:10.2307/2444012.
[6] Sattler, R. & Perlin, L. (1982). Floral development of
Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., Boerhaavia diusa L.
and Mirabilis jalapa L. (Nyctaginaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society: 161182. doi:10.1111/j.10958339.1982.tb00532.x.
[7] Greyson 1994, p. 130.
[8] Esau, K. (1965). Plant Anatomy (2nd ed.). New York:
John Wiley & Sons. OCLC 263092258.

Stigmas and style of Cannabis sativa held in a pair of forceps

[9] D'Arcy, W.G.; Keating, R.C. (1996). The Anther: Form,

Function, and Phylogeny. Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 9780521480635.
[10] Leins, P. & Erbar, C. (2010). Flower and Fruit. Stuttgart:
Schweizerbart Science Publishers. ISBN 978-3-51065261-7.
[11] Giord, E.M. & Foster, A.S. (1989). Morphology and
Evolution of Vascular Plants (3rd ed.). New York: W.H.
Freeman & Co. ISBN 978-0-7167-1946-5.
[12] Sattler, R. (1978). "'Fusion' and 'continuity' in oral morphology. Notes of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
36: 397405.
[13] Greyson 1994, p. 6769, 142145.
[14] Greyson 1994, p. 142.

Stigma of a Crocus ower.

[15] Blackmore, Stephen & Toothill, Elizabeth (1984). The

Penguin Dictionary of Botany. Penguin Books. ISBN
978-0-14-051126-0.

from the same plant or from genetically similar plants,

and ensures outcrossing.

10 Bibliography
8

See also
Chalaza

References

[1] Judd, W.S.; Campbell, C.S.; Kellogg, E.A.; Stevens, P.F.

& Donoghue, M.J. (2007). Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach (3rd ed.). Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. ISBN 978-0-87893-407-2.
[2] Sattler, R. (1974). A new approach to gynoecial morphology. Phytomorphology. 24: 2234.
[3] Macdonald, A.D. & Sattler, R. (1973). Floral development of Myrica gale and the controversy over oral theories. Canadian Journal of Botany. 51: 19651975.
doi:10.1139/b73-251.
[4] Sattler, R. (1973). Organogenesis of Flowers : a Photographic Text-Atlas. University of Toronto Press. ISBN
978-0-8020-1864-9.

This article incorporates text from a publication now

in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911).
"article name needed ". Encyclopdia Britannica (11th
ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Greyson, R.I. (1994). The Development of Flowers.
Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-5066883.

11

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Gynoecium Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynoecium?oldid=737288275 Contributors: Dcoetzee, Marshman, Manuel Anastcio,

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Mgiganteus1, Cornel c ilie, Munita Prasad, Alan.ca, JMK, RekishiEJ, MightyWarrior, Lavateraguy, CopperKettle, Sdream93, Davefoc,
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Schweiz zum Gebrauche in den Schulen und zum Selbstunterricht. Band I Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae und Monocotyledones. Knstlerische Leitung: Gustav Dunzinger. Verlag J. F. Lehmann, Mnchen. Original artist: Gustav Hegi (18761932), Gustav Dunzinger
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