African violet. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the stamens of an African violet flower, Saintpaulia ionantha. Stamens are the male reproductive organs of the flower. They each consist of a stalk-like filament and a swollen anther (green). The anther is made up of pollen sacs from which tiny pollen grains (the male reproductive spores) emerge. The pollen grains are picked up by insect pollinators and spread to the female stigmas. Pollen grains contain the male gametes that fertilize the female ovule to form a seed. Despite its common name, S. ionantha is not related to true violets.