What is the Difference Between Monocarpellary and Multicarpellary?

The difference between monocarpellary and multicarpellary lies in the number of carpels found in the gynoecium, which is the female reproductive part of a flower. A carpel is a basic unit of the gynoecium and consists of the style, stigma, and ovary.

• Monocarpellary: A flower's gynoecium is said to be monocarpellary if it has only one carpel. Examples of monocarpellary flowers can be found in the Leguminosae family, mango, and avocado.
• Multicarpellary: A flower's gynoecium is considered multicarpellary if it has multiple carpels. Multicarpellary gynoecia can be found in the Malvaceae family, tulip, and strawberry.

In addition to the number of carpels, multicarpellary gynoecia can be further classified as apocarpous or syncarpous:

• Apocarpous: In this case, the carpels are free from each other. An example of an apocarpous ovary is the strawberry.
• Syncarpous: In this case, the carpels are fused together. Examples of syncarpous flowers include tomato and brinjal.

Comparative Table: Monocarpellary vs Multicarpellary

The main difference between monocarpellary and multicarpellary flowers lies in the number of carpels present in their gynoecium. Here is a comparison table highlighting the differences:

Both monocarpellary and multicarpellary flowers are part of the gynoecium, which is the female reproductive organ of a flower. The gynoecium consists of carpels, each containing the style, stigma, and ovary. The key difference between the two types of flowers is the number of carpels present in their gynoecium, with monocarpellary flowers having a single carpel and multicarpellary flowers having multiple carpels.