Pistilate

Pistilate, also known as carpellate, describes a flower or plant that possesses pistils and lacks stamens. The pistil, the female reproductive organ, is responsible for receiving pollen and housing the ovules, which develop into seeds upon fertilization. This characteristic is often associated with female flowers or plants. The term is crucial in botany for identifying plant reproductive structures and understanding plant sexual reproduction. The pistilate nature can be observed in monoecious and dioecious plants where either a single plant or a specific part of it, exclusively contains female parts, thereby facilitating sexual reproduction. This specialization of reproductive function allows for effective pollination.

Pistilate meaning with examples

• The gardener observed that the zucchini plant produced only pistilate flowers in the morning, with tiny immature zucchini at their base. He knew that the zucchini fruits would only be produced by pollination from staminate flowers. This meant he needed to find male flowers to pollinate the female flowers to start the fruiting process.
• In her botanical research, she found that the isolated grove contained entirely pistilate hemp plants. This suggested that propagation through this grove would require external pollen sources, as no male plants were present to facilitate self-pollination. The genetic composition of the plants indicated a high chance for seed production through cross-pollination.
• While inspecting the cornfield, the agronomist identified that some rows exhibited pistilate tassels. These formations indicated that those individual stalks bore the female part of the corn. The development was crucial to the overall crop yield, as their successful pollination directly influenced the ultimate harvest of corn.
• The nursery owner explained that certain varieties of holly are exclusively pistilate and require the presence of staminate plants nearby for berry production. Without male plants to provide the necessary pollen, the female holly bushes would not be able to bear their vibrant red berries, a critical characteristic.