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Garden with Insight v1.0 Help: male/female flowers


The flower most of us think of when we think of a flower is a hermaphrodite -- it has both male parts (the stamen and pollen) and female parts (the pistil and ovaries). Many plants have hermaphroditic or "perfect" flowers like this.

But other plants have flowers that have only male or female plant parts. Plants with flowers of both genders on the same plant are called monoecious plants (monoecious means "one household"). For example, cucumbers have tiny male flowers that release pollen and large female flowers that grow the fruit. (Of course the female flowers always grow the fruit.) Several other garden plants are monoecious including other cucurbits (squash, pumpkins) and corn.

Plants with flowers of only one gender on any particular plant are called dioecious plants ("two households"). None of the most common garden plants are dioecious.

This simulation allows for the creation and growth (and drawing) of separate male and female inflorescences and flowers through parameters. Pollination is always assumed to proceed perfectly.

How it works:
the flowering/fruiting model

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Updated: May 4, 1998. Questions/comments on site to webmaster@kurtz-fernhout.com.
Copyright © 1998 Paul D. Fernhout & Cynthia F. Kurtz.