pistillike

Pistillike is an adjective used in botany to describe structures that resemble a pistil, the female reproductive organ of flowering plants. A pistil typically includes the stigma, style, and ovary, but the term pistillike refers to floral parts that visually imitate these components or that resemble the pistil in function, even if their developmental origin differs.

In descriptive morphology, pistillike features may refer to any organ or appendage that mimics the form of a pistil or acts in a similar central, ovary-like manner within the flower. The term is mainly a qualitative description used when precise homology is unclear or when emphasis is on outward resemblance rather than strict anatomical origin. It is not a statement about fertility or reproductive capability.

Pistillike should be distinguished from pistillate, which denotes flowers possessing a true pistil. Related terms include pistilliform, used to indicate pistil-shaped form, and concepts such as gynoecium, the collective female reproductive organs in a flower. In some taxa, developmental processes such as pistillody can produce structures that are pistillike in appearance, reflecting evolutionary or developmental changes rather than the presence of a true pistil.

See also: Pistil, Pistillate, Gynoecium, Stamen, Pistilliform.