Question

Define Anemophily.

Answer 1

Hint: The above term is associated with the process of pollination. Pollination is the process by which the pollen from the anther is transferred to the stigma of a flower. Pollination is mainly achieved by two modes/agents:
Biotic Agents
Abiotic Agents
The above term (Anemophily) is an abiotic agent of pollination.

Complete answer:
The abiotic agents of pollination include air and water. When pollination occurs with the help of air, then that type of pollination is known as Anemophily. This is common among abiotic pollination methods.
The pollen grains are dispersed in the air upon maturation and are carried in the air currents. The receptive stigma of the flowers catches these pollen where they may germinate and proceed towards fertilization and other related events.
Examples of anemophilous flowers include Maize, Wheat, Sugarcane, Bamboo, Orchid, etc.

Note:
The flowers that are wind pollinated have developed some characteristics for ensuring successful pollination. The pollen grains of these plants are light and non-sticky which can be carried by air currents. The stigma is long and feathery to easily trap the airborne pollen grains. The plant doesn’t produce any nectar and the flowers are often white. And most of the time, the flowers are packed into inflorescence.
These plants produce a huge volume of pollen to ensure fertilization. But only a few flowers (1 in a 1000) are successfully pollinated and fertilized. Thus, this type of pollination is expensive for the plants with a low success rate.