Here's a Q I've never asked.

[Mr Piggy]

Hey botanist, I'll be joining your ranks in the next few years. Busy knocking out the pre req's as we speak. Anyway, I have a question. We all know that pollen must be dry to be viable, yet a plant is a rather moist environment. How does a plant keep the pollen dry long enough to spread it around? I've noticed that shortly after opening male flowers tend to dry up and drop off. Is there some kind of mechanism that loads pollen up in the flower then cuts off the flow of water thereby drying the flower out enough for the pollen to separate and fly off?

 

[The Squid]

As a matter of fact, yes, there is, Mr. Piggy. I am no botanist but I am an avid researcher of the subject as a whole and a Horticulture student da boot.

It is that plants' sole mission in life to create more life. As we all know, in nature, pollen is transferred by wind, insects and other animals of this Earth. With wind, it is normally at the dry point of separation as it easily blows away from the stamens, and generally is immediately dispersed nearby and onto other plants, which in turn stick to the female stigma. With animals and insects, they aren't even pollinating on purpose, they are just eating and moving about as far as the insects, and mammals and what not are usually just travelling and brush against the plant doing the same thing. Hope this helped you out although I am sure there is a more scientific answer.

 

[Mr Piggy]

I understand how pollen is spread, I was more wondering about the physical mechanism the plant uses to dry and keep dry the pollen before dispersal.
Thanks squiddy.

 

[The Squid]

Oh ok. I am not certain on that information, I just know that there is indeed that mechanism that pulls moisture out of the pollen pods so that they dry out enough to fall away from the plant. Hope you find all your answers, dude.

 

[kpex]

I was more wondering about the physical mechanism the plant uses to dry and keep dry the pollen before dispersal.
Thanks squiddy.

Don't think of it as how the plant keeps the pollen dry; but more of how the plant can't keep it moist. The anther is where the pollen transfers. It needs a level of moisture to adhere to the host which it will translocate on (typically insects, etc). If the pollen isn't transported quickly, the anther will dry out and the pollen dessicates and can disperse with wind. Some plant species evolved to dry quickly and wind disperse, and many stay damp and depend heavely on a host for transport. The structure of a male flower is inherently designed to dry out in typical environmental conditions - just look at it closely. So to answer your question - the plant merely opens its flower to dry out the pollen. The flower quickly dries out, so it only has a short time to entice the insects with its colors/ aroma, etc. before its forced to merely blow away in the wind for one last attempt at pollenation (usually self pollenation at this point based on species). Now while the little insects have their legs dusted in pollen, the pollen dries out during transport to the next flower; again, by no real action of the plant.

Its a cycle of mother nature that allows pollenation - not just the responsibility of the plant. As the environment changes, the plants are forced to adapt...and thats how different plant species come about.

 

[Mr Piggy]

Thank you. I do understand dispersal, I was just wondering the super geek out actual name of the mechanism the plant uses to cut off moisture to the flower itself. I was also wondering if pollen wet from the plant is viable or if it must dry first to become viable and what is triggered in the pollen by the dehydration?