Which part of the flower is commonly known as the female reproductive organ?

The pistil is the female reproductive organ of a flower, and it plays a crucial role in the reproductive process. The pistil consists of several parts: the stigma, which is the sticky tip that receives pollen; the style, which is the slender stalk that connects the stigma to the ovary; and the ovary itself, which contains the ovules (the potential seeds). When pollen lands on the stigma, it can germinate and grow down through the style to fertilize the ovules in the ovary, leading to seed development.

Understanding the structure and function of the pistil is essential for grasping how sexual reproduction occurs in flowering plants, making it a key concept in botany and plant biology.