• The different flower parts work together to produce seeds.Paul Viant/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Flowers can be beautiful and showy, or small and inconspicuous. They serve an important function for both people and the plant. Flowers are where fruits are formed. Flowers are also where the seeds -- needed for the plant to reproduce -- are formed. The different parts of the flower work together to accomplish this, though not every flower contains all the parts.
  
  

Receptacle

• The receptacle is where the parts of the flower meet the stem.FLOWER image by SKYDIVECOP from Fotolia.com
  
  The receptacle is the point where the flower connects to the stem, or peduncle, of the plant. A receptacle is formed when the tip of the stem swells to create a small pad. The receptacle is the point where all other parts of the flower attach.
  
  

Sepals

• Sepals are leaflike structures surrounding the petals.pink flower bud image by Lytse from Fotolia.com
  
  Sepals, known collectively as the calyx, are the small, leaf-like structures surrounding the flower. They are typically green and are on the outside of the petals. There are usually three to five sepals, which may be fused together on some flowers. The sepals protect the bud of the flower.
  
  

Petals

• Petals are often showy to attract pollinating insects.Flower and bee image by Sean Gill from Fotolia.com
  
  Petals are the showy, colorful part of most flowers. Their primary purpose is to attract birds or insects to the plant to spread pollen. All the petals together are called the corolla. The corolla may consist of several separate petals, or several petals fused together into a single unit.The petals and sepals are collectively referred to as the perianth, which may be missing in flowers that use the wind for pollination.
  
  

Stamens

• Stamens consist of an anther and a filament.stamen of flower image by JoLin from Fotolia.com
  
  The stamen is made up of two parts, the anther and the filament. Flowers usually have several stamens, which is where the pollen is produced. The filament attaches to the receptacle. It extends upward, and has a sac at the top. That sac is the anther, where pollen grains develop. The stamens collectively make up the male reproductive organ of the plant, called the androecium. A flower with stamens and no pistils is called staminate. In this case, a separate flower will contain the female parts, either on the same plant or a different plant of the same species.
  
  

Pistil

• The pistil is in the center of the flower.pistil image by brice negre from Fotolia.com
  
  The pistil is the innermost part of the flower and has three parts, the ovary, the style, and the stigma. The ovary is the swollen base of the pistil. This part eventually becomes the fruit. Ovules contained within the ovary become the seeds. The style is a stalk-like structure extending from the ovary to the stigma, which is the part of the flower that receives pollen. Styles may be branched to support more than one stigma coming off of the single ovary. Collectively, all the structures of the pistil make up the female reproductive organ of the flower, called the gynoecium. A flower with a pistil and no stamens is called pistilate. It will need a male flower nearby for pollination.