Reproductive Parts

• A dense ring of stamens surrounds the female carpal in sunflowers.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  The male parts of the common flower are collectively called the stamen, which consists of an anther at the top containing the pollen, supported by a filament, or long stem. The female organs are collectively known as the carpal containing the ovule or egg within the ovary at the base and the style connecting the stigma at the top to the ovary. In the case of many common flowers, brightly colored petals and fragrances act as attractants for pollinators. Other plants, such as corn, rely on wind for pollination.The pollen and the ovum each contain half the genetic material needed to produce a viable seed.
  
  

The Anther

• The stamens with their prominent anthers are clearly displayed in a day lily.John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  The anther consists of pollen sacs that release pollen onto the upper surface of the anther so that pollinators such as insects, birds and wind can carry them to the stigma. In the case of honeybees, the pollen attaches to the hind legs and once deposited on the insect is transferred to the stigma of the same flower or another flower or plant. The ovule is then able to be fertilized. The filament is usually long to allow contact with pollinators and so facilitate fertilization.
  
  

The Carpal

• A flower showing both the male stamens and female carpelsHemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  The carpal is topped by the stigma, which attracts the male pollen and is often covered with a moist or sticky surface. It may be divided into three to five parts with a feathery or fernlike surface that encourages the adhesion of pollen. Once attached to the stigma, the male pollen travels down the style where it fertilizes the ovule. Once fertilization has taken place, the surrounding ovary develops into a fruit.
  
  

Variations

• Figs flower inside the fruit and are fertilized by a wasp.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Corn is an interesting variation on the common flowering reproductive system. The male pollen is produced on the tassels and at the right time the pollen is released and travels down, inside the husks on the silks that emerge from the ovules on the cob. The eggs, once fertilized, will become kernels. Figs are fertilized by a wasp through a complex symbiotic relationship in which the flower is encased by the fruit and is fertilized by the female wasp who lays her eggs in the fruit. This is the only plant whose flowers are encased in the fruit, just as strawberries are the only fruit whose seeds develop on the outside surface of the fruit.