Homostyly is a botanical term used to describe a flower that has all of its styles at the same level, regardless of the length of the stamens. In IPA phonetic transcription, the word is spelled /hɒməʊstaɪli/ with the stress on the second syllable. The first syllable is pronounced as "hom" with a short "o" sound and then the "u" is sounded as "ə". The double "o" is pronounced as "əʊ" and the last part of the word sounds like "styli".
Homostyly is a botanical term used to describe a condition in plants where all the flowers within a species have the same morphological structure, particularly with regard to the length of the pistil and the stigma. In homostylous flowers, the pistils are typically of the same length, while the stigmas are located at the same level within the flower. This feature allows for efficient fertilization through the transfer of pollen from one flower to another.
The opposite of homostyly is heterostyly, where flowers within a species have different lengths of pistils and stigmas. The presence of homostyly in a plant species indicates a lack of self-incompatibility, meaning that a flower can receive pollen from its own stamen without incurring reproductive issues.
Homostyly plays an essential role in promoting outcrossing, which enhances genetic diversity within plant populations. By maintaining a uniform structure of pistils and stigmas across flowers, homostyly facilitates cross-pollination through the transfer of pollen by pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds.
This term is often encountered in the study of plant reproductive biology, plant breeding, and plant taxonomy, as it helps to characterize and differentiate plant species based on their floral morphology. Overall, homostyly is a crucial floral adaptation that promotes reproductive success and genetic diversity in the plant kingdom.
Homogony.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "homostyly" is derived from two Greek roots: "homo" meaning "same" and "stylos" meaning "column" or "pillar". In botanical terms, "styly" refers to the length and position of the pistil or female reproductive part of a flower. Homostyly is a condition where all the flowers in a plant species have pistils of the same length and position. Hence, the term "homostyly" was formed by combining the Greek roots to describe this specific botanical characteristic.