Stigma of an amaryllis.

The stigma of a flowering plant has several roles to perform. Primarily it acts as a receptacle for capturing pollen carried on the wind, or from visiting insects, birds and other animals.

The stigma must discriminate between pollen from similar flowers and that of different species, rejecting anything that is not a good genetic match to itself. The stigma in many flowers will reject pollen from its own anthers, (except in the case of self-pollinators) ensuring genetic variation.

Once a compatible grain of pollen sticks to a stigma, the process of germination begins.

A stigma is anchored to a flower by a style, a tube-like structure, connecting stigma to ovule. During pollination, pollen tubes develop within the style, tunneling down to the ovary, where fertilization takes place.

Exif Data
Focal Length: 4.5mm
Exposure Time: 1/50 sec
Flash: Off
F-Number: F/4
ISO: 80
Metering Mode: Matrix
White Balance: Auto