Ovary (botany)

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In flowering plants, the ovary is the part of the female reproductive organ (the gynoecium) that holds the ovules. It is located in the pistil and can sit above, below, or at the base where the flower parts attach. The pistil may have one carpel or several fused carpels, so the ovary can contain one or multiple compartments.

After fertilization, the ovary becomes a fruit. The ovules inside become seeds, and the process of double fertilization also forms the endosperm that nourishes the developing seed. Gymnosperms do not have ovaries or fruits because they reproduce with naked seeds.

Fruits protect seeds and help disperse them. Not every fertilized ovary becomes a mature fruit, since genetics, environment, or energy limits can prevent ripening. A ripened ovary is a true fruit; however, culinary definitions of fruit can differ from botanical ones. Simple fruits come from a single ovary, aggregate fruits from many ovaries of one flower, and multiple fruits from several flowers growing closely together. Some fruits, like apples, are accessory fruits because other flower parts are involved too.

Inside the ovary are locules (chambers) that hold the ovules (which become seeds). The number of locules often matches the number of carpels. Ovules attach to placentae inside the ovary, and some ovaries have an obturator near the micropyle that helps guide pollen tubes.

Ovaries can be classified by their position relative to the flower. If the ovary is above the attachment point, it is superior (the flower is hypogynous). If it sits below, it is inferior (the flower is epigynous). A half-inferior ovary, also called perigynous, is partly above and partly below the attachment point.

Examples of ovary positions include:
- Superior: many fleshy fruits like true berries and drupes; legumes have superior ovaries.
- Inferior: seen in orchids, Fuchsia, banana, and some members of Asteraceae; the Cucurbitaceae (squash, melon) have a related form called a pepo.
- Half-inferior: crape myrtles (Lythraceae) show this arrangement.

Some fruits split open to release seeds along seams (dehiscence), while others stay intact. Overall, the ovary’s structure and position influence what the fruit looks like and how its seeds are dispersed.