Plant Reproduction and Gynoecium Structure

Flashcards covering pollen utility, viability, storage, and the morphological structures of the gynoecium based on the lecture notes.

Pollen Products

Products available as tablets and syrups in the market, used as food supplements to enhance the performance of athletes and race horses.

Pollen Viability Factors

The period for which pollen grains remain viable, which is highly variable and depends on prevailing temperature and humidity.

Rice and Wheat Pollen Viability

Pollen grains that lose their viability within $30\,min$ of their release.

Rosaceae, Leguminoseae, and Solanaceae

Plant families in which pollen grains maintain viability for months.

Pollen Banks

Facilities where pollen grains are stored for years in liquid nitrogen at $-196^{\circ}C$ for use in crop breeding programmes.

Gynoecium

The female reproductive part of the flower, which may consist of a single pistil or multiple pistils.

Monocarpellary

A gynoecium consisting of a single pistil.

Multicarpellary

A gynoecium consisting of more than one pistil.

Syncarpous

A condition in multicarpellary gynoecium where the pistils are fused together, such as in Papaver.

Apocarpous

A condition in multicarpellary gynoecium where the pistils are free, such as in Michelia or Rose.

Stigma

The part of the pistil that serves as a landing platform for pollen grains.

Style

The elongated slender part of the pistil located beneath the stigma.

Ovary

The basal bulged part of the pistil containing the ovarian cavity.

Locule

The ovarian cavity located inside the ovary.

Placenta

The structure located inside the ovarian cavity or locule.