ABSTRACT
The pistil is the female partner in sexual reproduction of flowering plants; it consists of the stigma, style and ovary. The structural features of the stigma and style are adapted to receive pollen grains and to facilitate their germination and subsequent growth of pollen tubes. This chapter provides a brief account of the structural details of the pistil in relation to its role in pollen germination and pollen tube growth. It presents a brief description of the ovule and the embryo sac. The ovules develop on the placenta. Extensive studies have been carried out on the structural details of the ovule and the embryo sac. The most important structural feature of the stigma and style relevant to pollen-pistil interaction is the presence of extracellular components, particularly of proteins and glycoproteins, on the surface of the stigma and in the path of pollen tube growth in the pistil.
