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What determines the number of chambers in a compound ovary?
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Plant reproductive system
A large bumblebee (Bombus species) pollinating a teasel flower head (Dipsacus species).
In a compound (syncarpous) ovary, the number of chambers, or locules, is generally determined by the number of carpels that have fused together.12
While the number of locules typically corresponds to the number of carpels, this is not always the case. In some instances, the inner walls of the carpels may break down during development, resulting in a single locule despite the ovary being composed of multiple carpels.12