Apocarpous and Syncarpous Ovary

The female reproductive organ in flowers is the gynoecium. This female reproductive organ of flowers is composed of several organs like pistils, and it holds the central position in the thalamus. The gynoecium is distinguished into four parts: monocarpellary, multicarpellary, syncarpous, and apocarpous. The stigma ovary and style are considered the pistil’s vital components. These ovaries are responsible for the production of ovules internally. These ovules further produce megaspores through meiosis, which further develops into female gametophytes and produces egg cells. This article will provide you with wholesome and detailed information about the different types of gynoecium present in the female reproductive system of flowers.

Apocarpous ovary

The apocarpous ovary pertains to the unfused pistil type of gynoecium. The apocarpous ovary can be defined as the gynoecium of a free pistil. Generally, the flowers with apocarpous ovaries are considered to have more than one carpel. However, these carpels are free like lotus vinca. 

Syncarpous ovary

The syncarpous ovaries can be defined as the gynoecium, where ovaries consist of more than one carpel. It is defined further as the gynoecium with a combined pistil. Fruits like tomato and cucumber are examples of syncarpous ovaries.

Carpel

The pistils of a flower are referred to as a house of one or more carpel. Carpel is the centre part of the female reproductive system consisting of style and stigma. It is further defined as modified leaves with structures called ovules, where the development of egg cells takes place. The pistil of a flower can hold onto one carpel or several carpels, which are referred to as uni-carpellate pistil and multi-carpellate pistil, respectively. Most of the flowers satisfy the definition given above; however, some flowers do not have carpels as the ovule formation takes place directly on the shoot of the apex. 

Difference Between Apocarpous and Syncarpous Ovary

Now that you have understood the concept of gynoecium and its two different types, namely Apocarpous and Syncarpous ovary. Let’s dive deep into the concept of the difference between the two and understand the topic in detail. Here is a table of differences between Apocarpous and Syncarpous ovaries to offer you a better understanding of the two.

Few facts about carpel and its functions

Carpel is defined as the female reproductive part of a flower that functions to modify leaves that bear ovules. These ovules form egg cells which consist of the ovary, style, and stigma. The condition when a single carpel is found in the gynoecium is stated as a monocarpous ovary. The word gynoecium derives from the Greek words gyne, which means women, and Oikos, which means house.

In the female reproductive system of flowers, gymnosperm is a term for ovules that further develop into fruit and seed. The gynoecium is defined as the innermost layer of a flower. The gynoecium comprises pistils surrounded by pollen-producing male reproductive organs known as stamens. Collectively they are termed androecium.

Conclusion

The apocarpous and syncarpous ovaries are a part of the female reproductive system of plants. These are a part of the gynoecium, further categorised into four types depending upon the number of pistol and pistol types. The four types of gynoecium are monocarpellary, multicarpellary, syncarpous, apocarpous. The monocarpellary is defined as the gynoecium consisting of a single pistil like beans and peas. The multicarpellary is defined as a gynoecium consisting of more than one pistil. At the same time, syncarpous and apocarpous are categorised based on the type of pistil. The syncarpous is the one with a combined pistil like the flowers of tomato and cucumber. The apocarpous is the one with a free or fused pistil like the flowers of Lotus vinca.