Ovary (plants)
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In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the carpel which holds the ovule(s) and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals. In this picture of a zucchini the petals and sepals are above the ovary and such a flower is said to have an inferior ovary; also referred to as epigynous. Above the ovary is the style and the stigma, which is where the pollen lands and germinates to grow down through the style to the ovary, and, for each individual pollen grain, to grow into one individual ovule. Some wind pollinated flowers have much reduced and modified ovaries. The carpel together with all the female components including ovules, placental tissue, style and stigma are called gynoecium. The carpel is considered to be a modified leaf. A pea shell is a good example of a carpel and shows the genetic and morphological relationship to a leaf.
[edit] Fruits
A fruit is the ripened ovary—together with seeds—of a flowering plant. In many species, the fruit incorporates the ripened ovary and surrounding tissues.
[edit] Superior ovary
A superior ovary is an ovary attached to the receptacle above the attachment of other floral parts. A superior ovary is found in types of fleshy fruits such as true berries, drupes, etc. A flower with this arrangement is described as hypogynous. An example is Hypericum calycinum.
[edit] Inferior ovary
- See also: False berry
An inferior ovary lies below the attachment of other floral parts. Pome is a type of fleshy fruit, that may be cited as an example. The flower of Fuchsia has an inferior ovary. Such flowers are termed epigynous.
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