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Anemophily
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<h2 id="syndrome">Syndrome</h2> <p>Features of the wind-pollination syndrome include a lack of scent production, a lack of showy floral parts (resulting in small, inconspicuous flowers), reduced production of <a href="/facts/Nectar/Y784ExfM">nectar</a>, and the production of enormous numbers of pollen grains.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> This distinguishes them from <a href="/facts/Entomophily/cSwptQsL">entomophilous</a> and <a href="/facts/Zoophily/UmJ84U9j">zoophilous</a> species (whose pollen is spread by <a href="/facts/Insect/IgDNvnUL">insects</a> and <a href="/facts/Vertebrate/tT54FSTT">vertebrates</a> respectively).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>Anemophilous <a href="/facts/Pollen/eqRP052I">pollen</a> grains are smooth, light, and non-sticky, so that they can be transported by air currents.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> Wind-pollinating plants have no predisposition to attract pollinating organisms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> They are typically 20–60 micrometres (0.0008–0.0024 in) in diameter, although the pollen grains of <i><a href="/facts/Pinus/HvMa9uc1">Pinus</a></i> species can be much larger and much less dense.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> Anemophilous plants possess lengthy, well-exposed <a href="/facts/Stamen/MzNPVK3D">stamens</a> to catch and distribute pollen.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> These stamens are exposed to wind currents and also have large, feathery <a href="/facts/Stigma_(botany)/JEQ85ChP">stigma</a> to easily trap airborne pollen grains.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> Pollen from anemophilous plants tends to be smaller and lighter than pollen from entomophilous ones, with very low nutritional value to insects due to their low protein content.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> However, insects sometimes gather pollen from staminate anemophilous flowers at times when higher-<a href="/facts/Protein/Jxmagu3E">protein</a> pollens from entomophilous flowers are scarce. Anemophilous pollens may also be inadvertently captured by <a href="/facts/Bee/HglXpXty">bees</a>' <a href="/facts/Electrostatic/bxkuW6s4">electrostatic</a> field. This may explain why, though bees are not observed to visit <a href="/facts/Ragweed/0As3y54C">ragweed</a> flowers, its <a href="/facts/Melissopalynology/kb9fc2of">pollen is often found</a> in <a href="/facts/Honey/jnRSlNEF">honey</a> made during the ragweed floral bloom. Other flowers that are generally anemophilous are observed to be actively worked by bees, with solitary bees often visiting <a href="/facts/Poaceae/q2CRK8q0">grass</a> flowers, and the larger <a href="/facts/Honeybee/GetXQWM0">honeybees</a> and <a href="/facts/Bumblebee/ItHf967s">bumblebees</a> frequently gathering pollen from <a href="/facts/Maize/lJ6c5xMH">corn</a> tassels and other grains. </p><p>Anemophily is an <a href="/facts/Adaptation/5K2gNpDB">adaptation</a> that helps to separate the male and female reproductive systems of a single plant, reducing the effects of <a href="/facts/Inbreeding/KRoRX08G">inbreeding</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> It often accompanies <a href="/facts/Dioecy/jwMHLkuM">dioecy</a> – the presence of male and female reproductive structures on separate plants.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> Anemophily is adaptively beneficial because it promotes <a href="/facts/Outcrossing/6sAJ4Gh7">outcrossing</a> and thus the avoidance of <a href="/facts/Inbreeding_depression/zXE15r0y">inbreeding depression</a> that can occur due to the expression of recessive deleterious <a href="/facts/Mutation/Ee4NnWbY">mutations</a> in inbred progeny plants.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="allergies">Allergies</h2> <p>Almost all pollens that are <a href="/facts/Allergen/bnM4cttq">allergens</a> are from anemophilous species.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> People allergic to the pollen produced by anemophilous plants often have symptoms of hay fever.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> Grasses (<a href="/facts/Poaceae/q2CRK8q0">Poaceae</a>) are the most important producers of aeroallergens in most temperate regions, with lowland or meadow species producing more pollen than upland or <a href="/facts/Moorland/S7kzNyQM">moorland</a> species.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> In Morocco, it was found that asthma caused by pollen from Poaceae accounted for 10% of the clinical respiratory diseases that patients faced.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> The nature of how species of Poaceae grasses flower results in an increase in the time that the allergenic pollen circulates through the air, which is not favorable to people who are hypersensitive to it.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li> Media related to Wind pollination at Wikimedia Commons</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>A. K. Shukla; M. R. Vijayaraghavan; Bharti Chaudhry (1998). "Abiotic pollination". Biology Of Pollen. APH Publishing. pp. 67–69. ISBN 9788170249245. <a href="9788170249245" target="_blank">9788170249245</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>A. K. Shukla; M. R. Vijayaraghavan; Bharti Chaudhry (1998). "Abiotic pollination". Biology Of Pollen. APH Publishing. pp. 67–69. ISBN 9788170249245. <a href="9788170249245" target="_blank">9788170249245</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Wind Pollination". seeds.ca. Retrieved 2020-12-15. <a href="http://seeds.ca/pollinator/bestpractices/wind_pollination.html" target="_blank">http://seeds.ca/pollinator/bestpractices/wind_pollination.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Dave Moore (2001). "Insects of palm flowers and fruits". In F.W. Howard; D. Moore; R.M. Giblin-Davis; R.G. Abad (eds.). Insects on Palms. CAB International. pp. 233–266. ISBN 9780851997056. <a href="9780851997056" target="_blank">9780851997056</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>SINGH, SIDHARTH; ANAND, JAYTI (2022-08), "UNACADEMY – A Falling Star or A Sun above Horizon?", Solving Business Puzzles, Noble Science Press, ISBN 978-93-91842-53-6, retrieved 2025-06-08 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) <a href="978-93-91842-53-6" target="_blank">978-93-91842-53-6</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Wind and Water Pollination". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2020-12-15. <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/wind.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/wind.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Wind Pollination". seeds.ca. Retrieved 2020-12-15. <a href="http://seeds.ca/pollinator/bestpractices/wind_pollination.html" target="_blank">http://seeds.ca/pollinator/bestpractices/wind_pollination.html</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>A. K. Shukla; M. R. Vijayaraghavan; Bharti Chaudhry (1998). "Abiotic pollination". Biology Of Pollen. APH Publishing. pp. 67–69. ISBN 9788170249245. <a href="9788170249245" target="_blank">9788170249245</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Wind and Water Pollination". www.fs.fed.us. Retrieved 2020-12-15. <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/wind.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/wind.shtml</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>J. D. Ackerman (2000). "Abiotic pollen and pollination: ecological, functional, and evolutionary perspectives". Plant Systematics and Evolution. 222 (1–4): 167–185. Bibcode:2000PSyEv.222..167A. doi:10.1007/BF00984101. <a href="/wiki/Plant_Systematics_and_Evolution" target="_blank">/wiki/Plant_Systematics_and_Evolution</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>ชูตระกูล, จันทร์งาม (2023). การวิเคราะห์ความคุ้มค่าของการใช้งานฐานข้อมูล ScienceDirect ของจุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย ปี 2562-2565. สำนักงานวิทยทรัพยากร จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย. <a href="https://doi.org/10.58837/chula.book.2023.15" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.58837/chula.book.2023.15</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Charlesworth D, Willis JH. The genetics of inbreeding depression. Nat Rev Genet. 2009 Nov;10(11):783-96. doi: 10.1038/nrg2664. PMID: 19834483 <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Jean Emberlin (2009). "Grass, tree, and weed pollen". In A. Barry Kay; Allen P. Kaplan; Jean Bousquet; Patrick G. Holt (eds.). The Scientific Basis of Allergy. Allergy and Allergic Diseases. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 942–962. ISBN 9781444300925. <a href="9781444300925" target="_blank">9781444300925</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Wind". ucanr.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-01. <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind" target="_blank">https://ucanr.edu/sites/PollenNation/Meet_The_Pollinators/Wind</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>Jean Emberlin (2009). "Grass, tree, and weed pollen". In A. Barry Kay; Allen P. Kaplan; Jean Bousquet; Patrick G. Holt (eds.). The Scientific Basis of Allergy. Allergy and Allergic Diseases. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 942–962. ISBN 9781444300925. <a href="9781444300925" target="_blank">9781444300925</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Aboulaich, Nadia; Bouziane, Hassan; Kadiri, Mohamed; del Mar Trigo, María; Riadi, Hassane; Kazzaz, Mohamed; Merzouki, Abderrahman (2008-12-09). "Pollen production in anemophilous species of the Poaceae family in Tetouan (NW Morocco)". Aerobiologia. 25 (1): 27. doi:10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2. ISSN 1573-3025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>Aboulaich, Nadia; Bouziane, Hassan; Kadiri, Mohamed; del Mar Trigo, María; Riadi, Hassane; Kazzaz, Mohamed; Merzouki, Abderrahman (2008-12-09). "Pollen production in anemophilous species of the Poaceae family in Tetouan (NW Morocco)". Aerobiologia. 25 (1): 27. doi:10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2. ISSN 1573-3025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-008-9106-2</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>