Flowers and Fruits, part 2: Absence of Some Parts ("Incomplete Flowers

Many flowers have all four sets of appendages present --a complete perianth consisting of both sepals (ca
petals (corolla), and both sets of sexual organs --stamens (androecium) and a pistil (gynoecium). Such a
flower is termed "complete." Some species, however, bear "incomplete" flowers.

Some incomplete flowers possess both sets of sexual organs, i.e., they are "perfect." Thus they have a sim
perianth consisting of only a caylyx (but no corolla), or the perianth is lacking entirely. (While a few peta
species having early-deciduous sepals come to mind, I can't think of an example of a flower that produce
petals but genuinely lacks sepals.)

Here are some examples of "perfect" (hermaphroditic), but incomplete, flowers.

Below, rue-anemone. This is a spring wildflower, easily confused with Isopyrum biternatum (false rue-
anemone).
 Rue-anemone flowers lack petals, but the sepals are petal-like.

Below, American elm. Like many trees, elms are wind-pollinated. The flowers are protected by winter bu
and they burst forth before the leaves, obviating the need for sepals. And being wind-pollinated, "advertis
is unnecessary, hence the flowers are apetalous, too.
 Elm flowers lack a perianth entirely.

Below, black walnut. Many wind-pollinated trees are monoecious, i.e. the flowers are unisexual (male or
female) but both types are found on a single tree. Commonly, they bear individually small but very nume
male flowers presented on drooping catkins well-suited to send pollen grains aloft into the passing breeze
while the female flowers are larger, produced singly (or at most in pairs or few-flowered clusters). Most
members of the oak/beech/chestnut (Fagaceae) and walnut/hickory (Juglandaceae) exemplify this pattern

Black walnut is monoecious, producing separate male and female flowers on the same individual.

Lacking a need for (sentient) pollinators, these flowers have no colorful perianth parts such as petals. In o
to acquire the wind-blown pollen, the stigmas, antenna-like, are expanded like big catcher's mitts.
 Black walnut female flowers.

Below, eastern cottonwood. Dioecious species have wholly separate male and female individuals. Memb
of the willow/aspen/cottonwood family (Salicaceae) are good examples. Cottonwoods are wind-pollinate
and produce their flowers --both types! --in drooping catkins. Note the very expanded stigmatic surface o
pistillate (female) flowers.

Eastern cottonwood flowers. Left: staminate (male) catkins. Right: pistillate (female).

Below, boxelder maple. Unlike most (all?) of our other maples, which are monoecious, boxelder is strictl
dioecious. Both types are produced in drooping clusters, and have long pedicels that increase exposure to
pollen-bringing wind.

Boxelder-maple flowers. Left: staminate (male) catkins. Right: pistillate (female).

As with people and a great many other animals, the expression of plant sexuality isn't always very clear-c
(Forests are sometimes clear-cut; that's bad.) A plant might mostly produce unisexual flowers. Some spe
of meadow-rue, for example are "polygamo-dioecious," bearing on one plant flowers partly perfect and p
pistillate, and on another plant flowers that are partly perfect and partly staminate.

Below, tall meadow-rue. This is a predominantly male individual.

A mostly male tall meadow-rue plant.

Below, flowers of a mainly male tall meadow-rue. Amidst a lot of wholly staminate flowers, there is a so
young fruit produced on a perfect (hermaphroditic) flower.

Mostly male tall meadow-rue with a perfect flower (upper right).

 Back: Flowers&Fruits Menu

Next: Corolla Variation (symmetry and fusion)

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Flower
PLANT ANATOMY
WRITTEN BY:
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica
LAST UPDATED:
9-1-2017 See Article History

RELATED TOPICS
 carpel
 catkin
 Flora
 Indonesia Botanical Gardens
 inflorescence
 ovary
 pistil
 pollen
 stamen
 Edith Rebecca Saunders
Flower, the reproductive portion of any plant in the division Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae), a group
commonly called flowering plants or angiosperms. As popularly used, the term “flower” especially applies
when part or all of the reproductive structure is distinctive in colour and form.




Sunflower field in Fargo, North Dakota.
Bruce Fritz—ARS/USDA
Time-lapse photography of various flowers blooming
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Flowers function as attractors of pollinators such as bees
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

In their range of colour, size, form, and anatomical arrangement, flowers present a seemingly endless
variety of combinations. They range in size from minute blossoms to giant blooms. In some plants, such
as poppy, magnolia, tulip, and petunia, each flower is relatively large and showy and is produced singly,
while in other plants, such as aster, snapdragon, calla lily, and lilac, the individual flowers may be very small
and are borne in a distinctive cluster known as an inflorescence. Regardless of their variety, all flowers have
a uniform function, the reproduction of the species through the production of seed. The flower is the
characteristic structure of the evolutionarily highest group of plants, the angiosperms. (See
also angiosperm.)


Pink variegated flowers of a common garden petunia (Petunia ×atkinsiana).
Peter Firus, Flagstaffotos
Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris).
Courtesy of the State of New Hampshire; photograph, Ernest Gould

Basically, each flower consists of a floral axis upon which are borne the essential organs of reproduction
(stamens and pistils) and usually accessory organs (sepals and petals); the latter may serve to both attract
pollinating insects and protect the essential organs. The floral axis is a greatly modified stem; unlike
vegetative stems, which bear leaves, it is usually contracted, so that the parts of the flower are crowded
 together on the stem tip, the receptacle. The flower parts are usually arrayed in whorls (or cycles) but may
also be disposed spirally, especially if the axis is elongate. There are commonly four distinct whorls of flower
parts: (1) an outer calyx consisting of sepals; within it lies (2) the corolla, consisting of petals; (3)
the androecium, or group of stamens; and in the centre is (4) the gynoecium, consisting of the pistils.


(Left) Generalized flower with parts; (right) diagram showing arrangement of floral parts in cross …
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

SIMILAR TOPICS
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 betel
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 monocotyledon
The sepals and petals together make up the perianth, or floral envelope. The sepals are usually greenish
and often resemble reduced leaves, while the petals are usually colourful and showy. Sepals and petals that
are indistinguishable, as in lilies and tulips, are sometimes referred to as tepals. The androecium, or male
 parts of the flower, comprise the stamens, each of which consists of a supporting filament and an anther, in
which pollen is produced. The gynoecium, or female parts of the flower, comprise the pistils, each of which
consists of an ovary, with an upright extension, the style, on the top of which rests the stigma, the pollen-
receptive surface. The ovary encloses the ovules, or potential seeds. A pistil may be simple, made up of a
single carpel, or ovule-bearing modified leaf; or compound, formed from several carpels joined together.
A flower having sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils is complete; lacking one or more of such structures, it is
said to be incomplete. Stamens and pistils are not present together in all flowers. When both are present the
flower is said to be perfect, or bisexual, regardless of a lack of any other part that renders it incomplete
(see photograph). A flower that lacks stamens is pistillate, or female, while one that lacks pistils is said to
be staminate, or male. When the same plant bears unisexual flowers of both sexes, it is said to
be monoecious (e.g., tuberous begonia, hazel, oak, corn); when the male and female flowers are on
different plants, the plant is dioecious (e.g., date, holly, cottonwood, willow); when there are male, female,
and bisexual flowers on the same plant, the plant is termed polygamous.
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A flower may be radially symmetrical (see photograph), as in roses and petunias, in which case it is termed
regular or actinomorphic. A bilaterally symmetrical flower, as in orchids (see photograph) and snapdragons,
is irregular or zygomorphic.

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Neither the calyx nor the corolla is necessary for reproduction. The stamens and pistils, on the other hand,
are directly involved with the production of seed. The stamen bears microsporangia (spore cases) in which
are developed numerous microspores (potential pollen grains); the pistil bears ovules, each enclosing an
egg cell. When a microspore germinates, it is known as a pollen grain. When the pollen sacs in a
stamen’s anther are ripe, the anther releases them and the pollen is shed. Fertilization can occur only if the
pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma of a pistil, a process known as pollination. This is
of two chief kinds: (1) self-pollination, the pollination of a stigma by pollen from the same flower or another
flower on the same plant; and (2) cross-pollination, the transfer of pollen from the anther of a flower of one
plant to the stigma of the flower of another plant of the same species. Self-pollination occurs in many
 species, but in the others, perhaps the majority, it is prevented by such adaptations as the structure of the
flower, self-incompatibility, and the maturation of stamens and pistils of the same flower or plant at different
times. Cross-pollination may be brought about by a number of agents, chiefly insects and wind. Wind-
pollinated flowers (see photograph) generally can be recognized by their lack of colour, odour, or nectar,
while insect-pollinated flowers (see photograph) are conspicuous by virtue of their structure, colour, or the
production of scent or nectar.
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After a pollen grain has reached the stigma, it germinates, and a pollen tube protrudes from it. This tube,
containing two male gametes (sperms), extends into the ovary and reaches the ovule, discharging its
gametes so that they fertilize the egg cell, which becomes an embryo. (Normally many pollen grains fall on a
stigma; they all may germinate, but only one pollen tube enters any one ovule.) Following fertilization, the
embryo is on its way to becoming a seed, and at this time the ovary itself enlarges to form the fruit.
Flowers have been symbols of beauty in most civilizations of the world, and flower giving is still among the
most popular of social amenities. As gifts, flowers serve as expressions of affection for spouses, other family
members, and friends; as decorations at weddings and other ceremonies; as tokens of respect for the
deceased; as cheering gifts to the bedridden; or as expressions of thanks to hostesses and other social
contacts. Most flowers bought by the public are grown in commercial greenhouses and then sold through
wholesalers to retail florists. See also articles on individual flowers, e.g., carnation; petunia; rose; tulip.

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46 REFERENCES FOUND IN BRITANNICA ARTICLES
Assorted References
 Amazon Rain Forest (in Amazon River: Plant life)
 Asterales (in Asterales: Asteraceae)
 begonias (in Cucurbitales: Begoniaceae)
 cacti (in Caryophyllales: Cactaceae)
 Connaraceae (in Connaraceae)
 Fabales (in Fabales: Characteristic morphological features)
 chemoreception and pollination (in chemoreception: Attraction)
VIEW MORE

EXTERNAL LINKS
 University of California - The Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center - Flower Anatomy
 University of Rochester - Department of Computer Science - The Description of Flowers

BRITANNICA WEB SITES

Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

flower - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)

A flower is the part of a plant that blossoms. Flowers produce the seeds that can become new plants. Most plants, including many trees,
grow some kind of flower.

flower - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Most plants pass on life to future plant generations by seeds. It is the work of a flower to make seed. All its beauty serves this one
purpose. Color and perfume attract insects and hummingbirds to aid in the flower’s pollination. Some flowers are so formed that they admit
certain insects and no others. The chief seed-making parts are the stamens, pistil, and ovary. Many interesting flower shapes have
developed that protect these parts.

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 Pollination Basics
o What is Pollination?
o Wind Pollination
o Animal Pollination
o Managed Pollinators
 Honey Bees
 Bumble Bees
 Blue Orchard Bees
 Alfalfa Leafcutter Bees
 Other Managed Pollinators
o Wild Pollinators
o Why Manage Pollination?
 Find a Crop
o By Type of Crop
 Field Fruits and Vegetables
 Orchard Fruits
 Small Fruit
 Forage, Cover Crop and Green Manure
  Oilseeds
 Greenhouse Crops
 Other Ontario Crops
o Crop Index
 Using Pollinators
o Weather and Water
o Habitat and Food
o Colony Strength
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What is Pollination?

Printer friendly version

Pollination is the first step in the process of sexual reproduction in plants. In pollination, a male pollen grain is transferred to the
female part of a flower, germinates and fertilizes the ovule. All of these steps must occur for a seed to develop. Without pollination,
the production of many of the seeds and fruits that we eat would not be possible.
As in all sexually reproducing organisms, mating in plants results in offspring that contain genes from both parents. Unlike animals,
plants cannot seek each other out. They must rely on wind, water, or animals to move pollen between plants. Wind is responsible for
pollinating many staple crops such as wheat and corn, but many Ontario crops rely heavily or completely on insects for pollination.
Bees are the most commonly discussed pollinators, but many other insects and even vertebrates can play a role (see Pollinators).

Insects that visit flowers are in search of pollen and nectar. Most flowers produce nectar just to attract pollinators. The higher the
concentration of sugar in the nectar, the more attractive it is to pollinators. Nectar can also contain other useful compounds such as
lipids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Pollen is high in protein, carbohydrate, lipids, and vitamins. It is valuable to some adult
insects as a food source, and especially to bees looking for food for their young (larvae). A nectary (nectar-producing organ)is
usually positioned within the flower so that visitors to the flower have to contact the reproductive organs to access the nectar.

Plants that can self-fertilize (or self-compatible) can still benefit from cross-pollination because it can lead to more or higher quality
fruit. In these plants, self-pollination is often an emergency mechanism in case cross-pollination does not occur. Because plants
prefer to invest their resources in cross-pollinated offspring, self-pollination often produces fewer fruit ,or fruit that is smaller or
misshapen.

Flower Anatomy & Function

There is an incredible variety of floral shapes in nature, but they are all derived from the same basic structure.
 copyright Cara Dawson

All plant reproduction requires that pollen be transmitted to the female organ, or pistil. (The exception is agamospermy, in which a
plant produces viable seed without being fertilized.)

Pollen is produced by the male organ, called the stamen. The stamen consists of an anther atop a long filament. Pollen grains
released by the anther are picked up by visiting insects or the wind. When a pollen grain reaches the female pistil (which may be
on the same or a different flower), it germinates on the stigma, forming a pollen tube that grows through the style and into
the ovary. The fertilized ovules then develop into seeds.

Flowers may have male or female organs (called imperfect flowers), or both (referred to as perfect flowers). Examples of crops with
perfect flowers include apples, cherries and legumes; crops with imperfect flowers include squash, cucumber and corn.
These terms should not be confused with those that describe the plant as whole. A species may have individual plants that produce
either male or female flowers (dioecious, from the Greek for 'two houses'), or plants that produce both (e.g., hermaphrodite
or monoecious, 'one house'). In those species that are monoecious, individual plants may have their male and female functions in
separate (imperfect) flowers, in perfect flowers, or they may have two or even all three of the flower types. Monoecious plants may
also have sexual functions separated in time. This means that the pollen production and stigma receptivity to the pollen occur at
different times. All of the crops covered in this website are monoecious, but may have perfect or imperfect flowers.

A perfect flower has both male and female parts (left) while imperfect flowers have either male or female parts
(illustration by Cara Dawson)
 (a) Example of a monoecious plant species with separate male and female flowers (left) or perfect flowers (right) on the same plant. (b) Example
of a dioecious species, in which male and female flowers are located on separate plants (illustration by Cara Dawson)

Inbreeding (self-fertilization or fertilization by close relatives) can reduce the vigour and health of living things. An inbred plant may perform poorly
and leave fewer offspring. In a crop plant, this may mean lower yields. While plants do not suffer as rapidly or severely from inbreeding as animals
do, most have ways to reduce or eliminate the possibility of self-fertilization. Self-fertilization is usually only a back-up mechanism in case cross-
pollination does not occur. The most effective way to ensure cross-fertilization is for plants to be dioecious, but these plants have no alternative in
the event that cross pollination does not occur.

There are many different ways that plants avoid self-fertilization. These include physical separation of male and female flower parts on the plant,
or staggering the fertility of male and female flowers over time. Some plants may prevent self-fertilization by chemically preventing germination of
their own pollen on the stigma.
Examples of perfect and imperfect flowers: a) perfect flower (legume); b) perfect flower (crab apple); c) imperfect female squash flower; d)
imperfect male squash flower.

previous | next
Home | About | More Information
Many people assume that all flowers have the same parts. In this lesson, we will investigate incomplete flowers. We will see what makes a
flower incomplete, and look at common examples of them.

Structure of Incomplete flowers

Structurally, flowers consist of four main parts: the sepals, petals, stamens and pistils. Any flower that does not have one or more of these
parts is considered to be an incomplete flower.
Sepals are leaf-like, usually green, and form a circle around the flower stem beneath the petal. They function to enclose and protect the
flower while it's developing. Petals are the leaf-like, usually colorful structures arranged in a circle around the top of the flower stem. Their
primary function is to attract pollinators for the purpose of reproduction. Stamens are the male reproductive structures of flowers,
and pistils are the female reproductive structures.

Examples
Any flower missing one or more of those four crucial parts is considered to be incomplete. There are many examples of incomplete flowers,
including squash plants, sweet corn, American holly and most grasses.
You may have grown traditional squash in your summer garden. As the plant grows and prepares to make its fruit it must undergo
fertilization. For fertilization to take place, the squash plant must produce a flower. If you closely examine the bright yellow flowers of
squash plants, you'll notice that some of the flowers have stamens but no pistils, and others have pistils but no stamens. This means that
on the squash plant, some of the flowers are male and some are female. This also makes them classic examples of incomplete flowers
because each flower is lacking either the male or female structure.

Incomplete Flower
Definition - What does Incomplete Flower mean?
A flower lacking one or more of the normal flower parts (the male (stamen), female (pistil), petals, and sepals) is called an
incomplete flower.
Incomplete flowers lack in at least one of the four floral parts. A flower with only a calyx, corolla, and androecium is an
incomplete male flower, whereas, a flower having gynoecium instead of androecium, along with a calyx and a corolla, is
an incomplete female flower.
There are many examples of incomplete flowers, including squash plants, gourds, sweet corn, American holly, and most
types of grasses.
Incomplete flowers should not be confused with imperfect flowers.

MaximumYield explains Incomplete Flower

While an imperfect flower consists of only the male or female part (stamen or pistil) and may or may not contain sepals or
petals, an incomplete flower is missing one or more of the four main flower parts, which are the male (stamen), female
(pistil), petals, or sepals.
Incomplete flowers are without one or more of the normal parts, as carpels, sepals, petals, pistils, or stamens. The sepals
are leaf-like, usually green, and form a circle around the flower stem beneath the petal. They function to enclose and
protect the flower while it's developing.
The flowers’ petals are the leaf-like, usually colorful structures arranged in a circle around the top of the flower stem. The
primary function of the petals is to attract pollinators (bees and other insects) for the purpose of reproduction. The
stamens are the male reproductive structures of flowers, and the pistils are the female reproductive structures. Any flower
missing one or more of those four crucial parts is considered to be incomplete.
Some incomplete flowers possess both sets of sexual organs, and are considered 'perfect'. Thus, these incomplete
flowers have a simple perianth consisting of only a calyx (but no corolla), or the perianth is lacking entirely.
Some examples of ‘perfect’ (hermaphroditic), but incomplete, flowers are below and rue-anemone. This is a spring
wildflower that is easily confused with Isopyrum biternatum (false rue-anemone).