Agents of Pollination

* Pollen grains have a tough protective coat which protects them from drying and they can be carried by wind.
* If they are sticky, insects or any animal visiting them can carry them away as they stick to their bodies and drop them on the next flower.
* These can also be carried by water in aquatic plants.
* Since wind, water, insects and animals help in pollination, they are called the agents of pollination.
i. Pollination by insects
      Plant pollen is transferred from the male reproductive organs to the female reproductive organs to form seeds. In flowering plants, pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma, often by the wind or by insects. This is called Pollination.
            
ii. Pollination by birds
     Many species of small birds, such as hummingbirds and sunbirds, are pollinators for plants such as orchids and other wildflowers. Flowers visited by birds are usually sturdy and are oriented in a way to allow the birds to stay near the flower without getting their wings entangled in the nearby flowers. The flower allows access for the bird’s beak. As a bird seeks energy rich nectar, pollen is deposited on the bird’s head and neck and is then transferred to the next flower it visits.                                                                 
iii. Pollination by wind
     Wind pollination describes the process of the transfer of pollen from one individual plant to another, whereby the pollen is carried by air currents. This is also called anemophily. This group of plants are adapted to ensure that grains of pollen can easily be carried from one plant to the next. The pollen is lighter than that which is found on other plants, and can even be picked up by the electromagnetic field of passing insects.