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They freely expel a myriad of these pollen grains, and only a small percentage of them ends up captured by the female floral structures on wind-pollinated plants. [3] They are typically 20–60 micrometres (0.0008–0.0024 in) in diameter, although the pollen grains of Pinus species can be much larger and much less dense. [ 1 ]
Plants fall into pollination syndromes that reflect the type of pollinator being attracted. These are characteristics such as: overall flower size, the depth and width of the corolla, the color (including patterns called nectar guides that are visible only in ultraviolet light), the scent, amount of nectar, composition of nectar, etc. [2] For example, birds visit red flowers with long, narrow ...
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. [1] Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example beetles or butterflies; birds, and bats; water; wind; and even plants themselves.
Wind-pollinated flowers often have small, dull petals and produce little or no scent. Some of these flowers will often have no petals at all. Flowers that depend on wind pollination will produce large amounts of pollen because most of the pollen scattered by the wind tends to not reach other flowers. [15]
Rarer forms of this involve individual flowers being moveable by the wind , or even less commonly; the anthers exploding to release the pollen into the wind. [75] Pollination through water is a much rarer method, occurring in only around 2% of abiotically pollinated flowers. [55]
During anthesis, or flowering, pollination is wind-mediated but bee pollination has been observed in at least 6 species. When pollination is zoophilous flowers can be fragrant and attract large numbers of pollinator-collecting bees to congregate around the inflorescence and take advantage of this new and abundant source of pollen.
A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in Salix). It contains many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem that is often drooping.
Some plants are pollinated by wind or water, but the majority are pollinated by animals called pollinators. [7] By producing nectar to attract pollinators, plants encourage to move from flower to flower, carrying pollen with them and resulting in pollination. [6] Close to 90% of all flowering plants are pollinated by animals. [8]