What are Perfect Flowers?

A "perfect" flower contains both male and female sexual organs, stamens and pistils, respectively. A perfect flower can self-pollinate or be cross-pollinated with pollen from another flower. The stamen is the male reproductive organ of the flower. It consists of an anther, the pollen sac, supported by a stem called a filament. The grains of pollen that are released by the stamen contain the male sex cells of the plant. The pistil is the female reproductive organ of the flower. When a grain of pollen lands on the stigma at the tip of the pistil, it releases chemicals that stimulate the pollen to grow a tube. This grows towards the flower's ovary or ovule. The pistil is supported by a stem, called the style, through which the pollen grows. Once the pollen reaches the ovule, the male sperm can fertilize the female egg contained in the ovule. The pollen grain also fertilizes the endosperm, which provides nourishment for the embryo (seed) as it grows. [With information from "The Principles ... more

At first glance, perfect flowers may sound like the ingredients for an ideal wedding bouquet, but the term perfect flowers means something a little different to a botanist or gardener. It all has to do with hermaphroditism, bisexuality and reproduction, at least in the plant world. A flowering plant's reproductive system generally consists of a male component called the stamen and a female component called the pistil. The male stamen is responsible for generating pollen, tiny particles of dust containing part of the plant's genetic code. Eventually, this pollen must be delivered to the female pistil, which provides its own genetic material in the form of an ovary and a place for the combined elements to mature into fruit. Plants described as imperfect may only have a male stamen or a female pistil, but not both. They depend on insects, birds or the wind to deliver or receive pollen. Perfect flowers, on the other hand, have both stamens and pistils in the same structure. The stamens in ... more