Pistil: Middle Part of the Flower

The pistil is the middle part of the flower. It is also known as the female reproductive part. The centrally located pistil typically consists of a swollen base called the ovary, which contains the potential seeds, or ovules; a stalk called the style that emerges from the ovary; and a stigma with various shapes and is frequently sticky. The female reproductive organ is called the gynoecium collectively.

Flower

Parts of Pistil

Stigma: The stigma is a component of the pistil, a flower's female reproductive organ. The stigma is above fashion. To capture pollen, the stigma may be hairy, sticky, or both. When the pollen touches the stigma, a pollen tube develops that extends through the style and into the pistil's ovary. The stigma's surface may be damp or dry.

Style: The centre of a female flower is called the style. It connects the stigma with the ovary and has a stalk-like appearance. Style serves the same function in the female organ of a flower as filament does in the male organ. It aids in the transfer of pollens from the stigma to the ovary.

Ovary: Ovules are present in the ovary at the base of the pistil. When an ovary receives pollen, it combines it with ovules and grows the resulting mixture into seeds or fruits. As a result, after fertilisation, the fruits and seeds are formed. When these seeds or the seeds inside of fruits germinate in the soil, new plants are created.

Pistil

How Does a Pistil Work?

The main functions or purposes of the pistil are pollination and fertilisation.

Pollination is a process through which a male flower's pollen grains travel and reach the stigma of another female flower. There are different pollination agents like wind or water or animals like insects. For successful fertilisation, the flower has to recognise the pollen grain belonging to the same species and only allow the growth of that pollen grain. The pistil carries out this important task through a chemical recognition between the pistil and the pollen grain. Thus, the pistil only allows a  compatible pollen grain to germinate, creating a pollen tube leading to fertilisation. 

The pollen tube grows downwards through the pistil and reaches the ovary, where it deposits the male gametes, which eventually enter the ovary and then fertilisation occurs, resulting in the formation of a seed.

Functions of Pistil

The following are the functions of the pistil:

1. It is the female reproductive part of the flower, and therefore it is involved in the fertilisation process.

2. The stigma of the pistil is responsible for receiving the pollen.

3. The style of the pistil is responsible for safely transporting the compatible pollen to the ovule.

4. Pistil protects the ovule present inside it.
   

Solved Questions

1. Can a  flower have more than one pistil?

Ans: Yes, a flower can have more than one pistil for example mustard, lily etc.

2. Write a few functions of a pistil.

Ans: The functions of a pistil are:

•  The pistil's stigma is where the pollen is deposited.

•  The compatible pollen is transported securely to the ovule by the pistil's style.

•  The ovule that is inside the pistil is protected.

3. What are the parts of a pistil?

Ans: Pistil has three parts:

• Stigma 

• Style 

• Ovary

Learning by Doing

Fill in the blanks:

1. Pistil comprises of _______,_________and________.

2.Pistil is the __________reproductive part of the flower.

Summary

The centre of the flower contains the pistil, the female reproductive organ. The ovary, which contains seeds or ovules, the swollen base, the stalk or style that emerges from the ovary, the pollen-receptive tip, and the stigma, which can take a variety of shapes and is frequently sticky, make up the majority of the structure. The number of pistils in a flower typically varies depending on the flower's species. Each pistil is made up of one to many leaf-like structures, and their primary job is to protect the ovules.