Androecium

The androecium is the collective male reproductive part of a flower. It consists of one or more stamens, each typically composed of a filament bearing an anther. The anther produces pollen, which contains the male gametophytes necessary for fertilization.

Stamens can vary greatly in number, arrangement, and attachment. They may be free or fused, and their anthers can be dithecal (two pollen sacs per lobe) or monothecal (one pollen sac). Some flowers have reduced or sterile stamens called staminodes, which may attract pollinators or guide pollen flow even though they do not produce pollen.

Pollen release occurs as the anthers dehisce at maturity. Pollination, the transfer of pollen to a compatible stigma, enables the fertilization of ovules by the male gametophyte conveyed by the pollen tube.

In flowering plants, the androecium is one of the primary floral whorls, and its structure is a major feature in taxonomic classification. The form and number of stamens and the presence of staminodes can vary with evolutionary lineage and ecological pollination strategies.