1. Adaptations of Salvia for insect pollination by bees
Pistil overhanging
landing platform
Stamens form “lever”
Tubular shape,
contains nectar
Nectar guides
Landing platform
Bees attracted to blue and yellow flowers
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

2. Adaptations of flowers for bird pollination
High yield of dilute nectar
Bigger than most insect-pollinated flowers
Open in daytime, often red
Sturdy against rough feeding of birds
Little or no scent – birds have poor sense of smell
Protect ovary against beaks by being inferior or by partition
Pollen sticks together in clumps
Often erect or with landing platform for birds that do not hover
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

3. Adaptations of Strelitzia for pollination by birds
Stigma close to pollen
Stamens fused in
tube to fit beak
Bright colours
Nectaries
Sturdy landing platform
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

4. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

5. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

6. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

7. Adaptations for wind pollination
Flowers do not have scent, nectar or brightly coloured petals – no need to attract pollinators.
Flowers high on plant to be exposed to wind.
Flowers usually small and reduced, lacking calyx or corolla (sepals and petals).
Anthers large and well-exposed.
Masses of light, non-sticky pollen produced.
Stigmas long and feathery with large area for trapping pollen.
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

8. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

9. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

10. The pollen grain germinates
Meiosis occurs in the pollen grain.
The male gametes are haploid.
When the ripe pollen grain lands on a receptive stigma, it will germinate.
The pollen grain germinates and form a pollen tube.
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

11. The germinated pollen grain is the male gametophyte
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

12. The female pistil
The ovary contains the ovule(s) with female gametes (n).
The pollen tube grows down the style, through the micropyle and into the embryo sac.
Double fertilisation occurs.
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

13. The female gametophyte: germ sac with 8 nuclei
Lorraine Kuun, July 2011

14. Lorraine Kuun, July 2011