What is a staminode?

What is a staminode?

• A. Stamen
• B. Sterile stamen
• C. Pistil
• D. Anther

Answer: (B)

A staminode is a stamen that has lost its fertility and does not produce pollen. Stamens are the male reproductive organs of a flower, made up of a filament with an anther at the tip where pollen forms. When a stamen becomes sterile or reduced, it remains a staminode. Sometimes staminodes are modified in shape—petal-like or reduced structures—that may help attract pollinators or guide them toward the fertile parts of the flower. So the term describes a sterile stamen, not a functional stamen, nor the pistil or the anther itself.

A staminode is a stamen that has lost its fertility and does not produce pollen. Stamens are the male reproductive organs of a flower, made up of a filament with an anther at the tip where pollen forms. When a stamen becomes sterile or reduced, it remains a staminode. Sometimes staminodes are modified in shape—petal-like or reduced structures—that may help attract pollinators or guide them toward the fertile parts of the flower. So the term describes a sterile stamen, not a functional stamen, nor the pistil or the anther itself.