Flower Types and Plant Sexuality

Flower Types

Flowers may be usefully classified by the kinds of parts they contain. The generalized flower contains sepals (calyx), petals (corolla), stamens (androecium), and pistil(s) (gynoecium).

Complete Flowers - contain all 4 floral whorls

Incomplete Flowers - lack one or more of the floral whorls.

K A G

C A G

A G

K C A

K A

C A

A

K C G

K G

C G

G

Perfect Flowers - flowers that contain both stamens and pistil(s). However, if they lack calyx

and/or corolla, they are also incomplete.

- K A G

- C A G

- A G

Imperfect Flowers - lack either stamens or pistils. They are thus, always incomplete, and

produce only unisexual flowers.

K C A

K A

C A

A

K C G

K G

C G

G

Plant Sexuality

Some species of plants produce flowers that are all complete and therefore all bisexual.

Some species of plants produce individual specimens that are either male or female, thus they

produce only unisexual flowers, all of which are imperfect and incomplete by definition.

Some species of plants produce individual specimens with some flowers that are either male or female and some flowers that are perfect (bisexual).

Monoecious - unisexual, staminate and pistillate flowers on the same plant.

Dioecious - unixexual, staminate and pistillate flowers on the different plants.

Polygamous - some flowers that are either male or female and some flowers are perfect.

Polygamo-monoecious bisexual and unisexual flowers on the same plant.

Polygamo-dioecious - bisexual and male flowers on some plants, and bisexual and female flowers

on others.