The Probert Encyclopaedia of Nature

STIGMA

In flowering plants, the stigma is the summit of the ovary or of the style, which, if present, is a prolongation of the ovary. It is specifically adapted to retain the pollen-grains which are carried to it by insects, the wind or in self-fertilised species by the action of the stamens. The stigma is generally rough owing to a coating of short hairs or nipple-like points, which secrete a sticky fluid that holds the pollen-grains.
Research Stigma