= Receptacle
{disambiguate=botany}
A <receptacle (botany)> is the end of the floral <plant stem> on which the parts of a <flower> are borne. It can be a small platform or an enlarged structure. Its position explains the distinction from an <ovary (botany)>: the <receptacle (botany)> supports the floral organs, while an <ovary (botany)> encloses <ovules> within a <carpel>.<Receptacle in the New South Wales Flora Online Glossary>[definition and Figure12A]{ref}
The <strawberry> makes the distinction visible. Its enlarged fleshy <receptacle (botany)> carries many small <achenes> on the outside; each <achene> is a dry <fruit> containing a <seed>. Thus the red flesh and the individual seed-bearing fruits develop from different parts of the <flower>. In a <rose>, the small dry fruits instead lie inside the enlarged <hypanthium> of the <rose hip>.<Rosaceae in New South Wales Flora Online>[fruit diversity, achenes and fleshy supporting tissues]{ref}
For a simple dissection, follow a flower's stalk upward and identify where <sepals>, <petals>, \x[stamens]{magic} and <carpels> attach. Comparing this arrangement before and after fruit development helps trace a mature structure back to its origin. A <receptacle (botany)> can contribute to an <accessory fruit>, but it is not itself a synonym for every fleshy <fruit>.
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