Question

What are some features of Anemophilous flowers?

Answer 1

Hint: Anemophilous flowers are those flowers which get their seeds pollinated by wind as their pollinating agent. This is the most common amongst abiotic pollinations. Most of the Gymnosperms like Cycas, Pinus, Sago Palm, etc. are pollinated by wind currents.

Complete answer:
In flowering plants, male and female gametes are produced in the pollen grain and embryo sac respectively. These gametes are non-motile; therefore, they need to be brought together for fertilisation. Pollination is the mechanism to achieve this objective. The transfer of pollen grains to the stigma is called pollination.
Depending on the source of pollen, pollination is of three type’s viz. Autogamy, Geitonogamy and Xenogamy.
Autogamy refers to the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower. Geitonogamy refers to the transfer of pollen grains from another to the stigma of another flower of an equivalent plant. Functionally, it's cross- pollination but genetically, it's almost like autogamy since the pollen grains come from an equivalent plant. Xenogamy is the transfer of pollen grains from anther to the stigma of another flower of different plant of the same species. This is the sole sort of pollination that has genetically different types of pollen grains on stigma. It involves agents of pollination that includes abiotic and biotic agents. Abiotic agents of pollination include wind and water whereas biotic agents include animals like bats, birds, rodents, etc.
Characteristics of wind pollinated flowers are:
The pollen grains are light and non-sticky, so that they can be easily carried by air.
The flowers have well- exposed stamens, so that the pollens are easily dispersed into wind. Flowers have large feathery stigma to easily trap the air borne pollen grains.
They lack nectar.
Each ovary contains a single ovule.
Flowers are packed into inflorescence.

Note:
Some examples of wind pollinated plants are Maize, Wheat, sugarcane, bamboo, grasses, etc. Flowers that are pollinated by water are known as Hydrophilous flowers. Pollination by water is limited to about 30 genera, out of them mostly monocots, e.g. Vallisneria, Hydrilla, Zostera, etc.