What are the characteristics of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers?

Flower pollination mostly requires external forces, such as human assistance, insects or wind, and so on, which is why flowers are classified into wind-pollinated flowers and insect-pollinated flowers.So what are the characteristics of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers?

1. What are the characteristics of wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers?

Wind-pollinated flowers: wind-pollinated flowers are flowers that complete pollination by means of wind.

1. Small flowers, not brightly colored; the perianth is reduced or absent; no fragrance and no nectaries; the pollen is dry and pale, produced in large quantities, with a smooth outer wall.

2. Some wind-pollinated flowers have feathery stigmas and long pendulous filaments (such as rice); or soft, inverted catkins (such as white poplar); or the phenomenon of flowering before the leaves appear (such as birch).

Insect-pollinated flowers: pollination by means of insects as the vector is called insect pollination, and flowers that rely on this method of pollination are called insect-pollinated flowers.

1. Insect-pollinated flowers rely on insects (bees, butterflies, moths, flies, ants, etc.) to carry pollen; the corolla is generally large and conspicuous, with bright colors, fragrance or nectaries; the pollen grains are relatively large and sticky, easily adhering to the bodies of insects.

2. The pollen is rich in nutrients and can serve as food for insects. These characteristics all help insects to spread pollen. The flowers of rapeseed, melons, peaches, apples, pears and so on are all insect-pollinated flowers.

3. The pollen grains of insect-pollinated flowers are generally larger than those of wind-pollinated flowers; the outer wall of the pollen is rough and often has spines; when the anther splits open, the pollen is not scattered by the wind but sticks to the anther; insects easily touch it when visiting flowers to collect nectar, and it attaches to their bodies; the stigma of the pistil also mostly secretes mucus, and the pollen is held fast as soon as it touches; the amount of pollen is also far less than that of wind-pollinated flowers.

The pollination methods of wind-pollinated flowers and insect-pollinated flowers belong to cross-pollination, and cross-pollination is greatly affected by natural conditions; for example, if low temperatures, long periods of rain, storms and so on occur during the flowering period, they will have an adverse effect on wind or insect pollination. As a result, the opportunities for pollination are reduced, affecting seed set.