Androecium
Definition of Androecium
The male reproductive organ of the flower.
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- The flower is made upof 4 whorls namely calyx, corolla, androecium and gynoecium
- Androecium is the male reproductive whorl of the flower
- It is composed of the units called ‘stamens’
- In other words the stamens of the flower are collectively known as “Androecium”
- The stamen is a slender stalk like structure, havinga proximal part called filament and a distal anther
- Stamens are present in a typical dioecious flower
- In monoecious flower only carpels or stamens may be present
- When only stamens are present, such flowers are called androecius flower
- The stamens may be fused or separate
- They may be single or many in number
- Stamens also known as‘microsporophyll’ are structures that produce pollen in terminal saclike structuresmicrosporangia called‘pollen’
- The pollen is the male reproductive cell of the flower
The stamen consists of the following parts:
1) Anther:
It is a fertile part of stamen
It produces pollen grains
The pollen grains consists male reproductive cells
It consists of four microsporangia known as ‘pollen sacs’
The microsporangia are separated by tissue known as connective tissue
Microsporangia contain many microspores or pollen grains
Anther is generally bilobed and rarely unilobed.
2) Filament:
It is a sterile part of stamen
The filament is the slender stalk that anchors the anther
The filament is generally present on the stamen, however in rare cases, it may be absent
The attachment of the filament to the anther differs from flower to flower
The filament may be longer and come out of the flower or may be short and remain within the flower