Drawing the half-flower

Draw a half-section (longitudinal section) of a flower. At the base, draw the receptacle (the swollen end of the flower stalk). Around it, draw the green leaf-like sepals. Above them, draw the colourful petals. Inside, draw the male parts: the stamen, consisting of a thin filament topped by the anther (where pollen is produced). In the centre, draw the female part: the carpel (or pistil), consisting of the stigma at the top (sticky surface to catch pollen), the style (tube connecting stigma to ovary) and the ovary at the base (containing ovules).

Male and female structures

The anther produces pollen grains, which contain the male gamete. The filament holds the anther in position. Together they form the stamen. The stigma receives pollen during pollination. After pollination, a pollen tube grows down the style to reach the ovule in the ovary. The male gamete travels down the pollen tube and fuses with the female gamete (egg cell) inside the ovule. This is fertilisation.

Insect-pollinated vs wind-pollinated

Insect-pollinated flowers have large, colourful petals, scent, nectar and sticky or spiky pollen. Wind-pollinated flowers have small, dull petals (or none), no scent or nectar, long feathery stigmas hanging outside the flower, and light smooth pollen produced in large quantities. Questions may ask students to identify the pollination type from a diagram.