Virtual Herbarium
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Virtual Herbarium |
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What is the difference between a carpel and a pistil? |
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Carpels are the basic units of the gynoecium and may be free (distinct) or fused (connate). The term pistil is used in a similar manner to carpel – in some situations the terms are equivalent in meaning but not in others. For example, a flower represented by G 1 has a single carpel or a single pistil. A flower represented by G (3) represents three fused carpels but is only a single pistil (compound).
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LHS: One flower with |
3 carpels, free (distinct) |
| 3 simple pistils | |||
| In a floral formula this would be expressed G3_ | |||
| RHS: One flower with | 3 carpels, fused (connate) | ||
| 1 compound pistil | |||
| In a floral formula this would be expressed G(3)_ | |||
| If the above is confusing the simplest path is just to use the term ‘carpel’ and avoid the potential ambiguity of using ‘pistil’. | |||
