CHAPTER IV 
PISTILS AND STAMENS 
Structure and Function of Pistils and Stamens 
The pistils and stamens are the organs upon which the pro- 
duction of seed depends and for this reason are called the 
essential parts of the flower. The calyx and corolla protect the 
essential organs and often assist in seed production, but they 
are not essential. 
In unisexual flowers, seeds appear only in the flowers having 
pistils. The staminate flowers in the Corn tassel produce no 
kernels, and in dicecious plants, 
such as Hemp, Willows, and the 
Mulberry, seed and fruit are 
limited to those individuals bearing 
pistillate flowers. From this it 
might appear that the stamens 
take no part in the work of pro- 
ducing the seed; but observations 
show that unless stamens are close 
at hand, the pistil will produce 
no seed. A _ well isolated Corn 
plant with tassel removed before Fic. 35.— Flower of the Cherry 
the stamens are mature will pro- with parts of the pistil indicated. 
duce no kernels. Some varieties ® OV@™Y) %% stigma; s, style. 
: pie Much enlarged. 
of Strawberries are dicecious, and 
unless both kinds of plants are grown in the same bed, there will 
be no seed or fruit. 
To understand just how the essential organs function in seed 
production, a careful study of their parts must be made. 
Parts of the Pistil. — The pistil usually consists of three parts: 
the enlarged base which is the ovary and the portion in which the 
seeds develop; the flattened or expanded surface at the upper 
extremity, known as the stigma; and the stalk-like part connect- 
33 
