staminate/pistillate
|stam-i-nate - pis-ti-late|
/ˈstæmɪneɪt/
(staminate / pistillate)
having stamens / having pistils (male vs female flower parts)
Etymology
'staminate' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'staminatus', ultimately from Latin 'stamen' meaning 'thread' or 'warp' (used for the thread-like structure of the stamen). 'pistillate' originates from New Latin, specifically the word 'pistillatus', ultimately from Latin 'pistillum' meaning 'pestle' (the term gave rise to 'pistil' for the female organ).
'staminate' was formed in Modern/New Latin from Latin 'stamen' + adjectival suffix (seen as 'staminatus') and was adopted into English botanical usage in the 18th–19th century. 'pistillate' developed from Latin 'pistillum' via New Latin 'pistillatus' into English botanical terminology around the same period.
Initially, the terms referred specifically to the presence of the stamen or pistil structures in plants; over time they remained technical botanical adjectives used to describe whether flowers or plants bear stamens or pistils, respectively.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having stamens (the male reproductive organs) and producing or bearing pollen; applied to flowers that possess stamens but lack functional pistils.
The staminate flowers produced abundant pollen but no fruit.
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Adjective 2
having pistils (the female reproductive organs) and capable of receiving pollen; applied to flowers that possess pistils but may lack stamens.
Only the pistillate flowers developed into fruit after pollination.
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Last updated: 2025/09/28 22:19