Stamen

Flower of the spider tree (Crateva religiosa)
with its numerous conspicuous stamens (enlarge).

Flowers of wheat
at anthesis showing stamens (enlarge)

The stamen is the male organ of a flower. Typical flowers have six stamens inside a perianth (the petals and sepals together). Each stamen consists of a thin stalk called a filament supporting an anther that contains the microsporangia. Haploid pollen — the male gamete cells of a flowering plant — are produced by the microsporangia.

Scanning electron microscope image
of Penta lanceolata anthers, with
pollen grains on surface (enlarge)

Referenced By