The style isn’t always a sign of how trendy you are. And a pistil might sound dangerous, but is usually quite the opposite.

These are words we all likely learnt in biology class at school. But do you remember the various parts of a flower, and what they do?

On International Plant Appreciation Day, there’s no better time for a quick refresher course, as captured in the ‘Field Guide to Renosterveld of the Overberg’. How much do YOU remember?

Stigma: This is situated on top of the style, and is the part of the pistil where pollen germinates.

Style: The ovary is connected to a long style, which is then topped by a stigma.

Ovary: The ovary is the enlarged portion at the base of the pistil which contains the ovules. These develop into the seeds when fertiilised.

Pistil: This is the female organ of a flower comprising the ovary, style and stigma.

Ovules: The ovules are contained in the ovary, and once these are fertillised, they become the seeds.

Pollen tubes: When pollen is deposited on the stigma of a flower, it forms the pollen tube.

Anther: This is the pollen-bearing part of a flower, usually the end part of the stamen.

Filament: The filament is the stalk of the flower that supports the anther (which is where the pollen develops). The filament and the anther together form the stamen.

Stamen: The stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower consisting of a stalk-like filament with a pollen-bearing anther at or near the tip.

Petal (Corolla): These are modified leaves of a flower that are typically coloured. All the petals of a flower together are known as the corolla, whether they are free, partly fused or fully fused into a tube.

Sepal (Calyx): A number of (often four or five) leaf-like structures that protect a flower during early development. The calyx consists of separate or fused sepals, and when the sepals fuse together, they form the calyx tube.

Perianth: The corolla (the petals) and the calyx (the sepals) together are known as the perianth.

Receptacle: The receptacle is the stem of the plant to which the floral organs are attached.

Pedicel: This is the stalk of a single flower.

Above: Dianthus albens