Most holly trees are dioecious, which structure would you find on the flowers of a male holly plant?

• A. stigma
• B. ovary
• C. style
• D. stamen

Answer: (D)

In dioecious plants, male and female flowers grow on separate plants. On a male holly flower you would find the stamen, the structure that produces pollen. The stamen has a filament topped by an anther where pollen grains form. The other structures listed—stigma, style, and ovary—are parts of the pistil, the female reproductive organ, and appear on female flowers. The stigma catches pollen, the style supports it, and the ovary contains ovules that develop into seeds after fertilization. Since male holly flowers don’t form ovaries or pistils, those structures aren’t found there, making the stamen the correct feature to observe.