carpellen

Carpellen, the Dutch term for carpels, are the individual units that make up the gynoecium, the female reproductive part of flowering plants. A flower may have one or several carpellen; they may be solitary, or fused to form a single ovary (syncarpous gynoecium), or remain separate (apocarpous gynoecium). Each carpel typically consists of an ovary at the base, a style, and a stigma at the tip. The ovary contains ovules, which after fertilization develop into seeds. The carpel often becomes a fruit that protects the seeds and aids their dispersal.

Carpellen can vary in their arrangement and fusion. In some flowers they are fully fused to form a single ovary, while in others they are distinct and may produce multiple functional fruits. The internal chambering of the ovary can be unilocular or multilocular, depending on the degree of fusion and partitioning. The placement of ovules inside the ovary is described by placentation types, such as axile, parietal, or basal. The position of the ovary relative to other floral parts is classified as superior, inferior, or half-inferior.

Evolution and significance: Carpellen are a defining feature of angiosperms (flowering plants) and underlie much of the diversity in fruit morphology. The study of carpels informs understanding of flower structure, fertilization, and seed dispersal strategies across plant groups.