Thursday, April 30, 2009

Where did the name for pistil (Carpel) originate from/ whats the story behind it?

Where did the name for pistil (Carpel) originate from/ whats the story behind it?


Wasn't here this day of notes :/


thanks!

Where did the name for pistil (Carpel) originate from/ whats the story behind it?
Pistil or gynoecium of a flower is MADE UP of carpels.





So Pistil and Gynoecium are synonyms. Given below are the dictionary meanings of 1) Pistil and 2) Carpel





1) PISTIL ==The female, ovule-bearing organ of a flower, including the stigma, style, and ovary.





[French, from New Latin pistillum, from Latin, pestle (from its shape).]





2 ) CARPEL==One of the structural units of a pistil, representing a modified, ovule-bearing leaf.





[New Latin carpellum, from Greek karpos, fruit.]





carpellary car'pel·lar'y (-pə-lĕr'ē) adj.





It is important no note that carpel is a structural unit of pistil not the whole pistil .





Now let us see what the dictionary says about Gynoecium





3) GYNOECIUM==The female reproductive organs of a flower; the pistil or pistils considered as a group.





[New Latin, alteration (influenced by Greek oikos, house) of Latin gynaecēum, women's apartments, from Greek gunaikeion, from neuter of gunaikeios, of women, from gunē, gunaik-, woman.]





That means pistil = Gynoecium.
Reply:Pistils are sometimes known as carpels.


Carpel comes from the Greek word karpos, meaning fruit, the suffix el is a diminution or something that denotes small


Pistil comes from the Latin pestle, which connotes that the pistil (carpel) is shaped like a pestle (as in mortar and pestle)


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