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Plants fall into pollination syndromes that reflect the type of pollinator being attracted. These are characteristics such as: overall flower size, the depth and width of the corolla, the color (including patterns called nectar guides that are visible only in ultraviolet light), the scent, amount of nectar, composition of nectar, etc. [2] For example, birds visit red flowers with long, narrow ...
A leaf (pl.: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, [1] usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis.Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", [2] [3] while the leaves, stem, flower, and fruit collectively form the shoot system. [4]
The sterile leaves are modified leaves whose function is to protect the fertile parts or to attract pollinators. [1] The branch of the flower that joins the floral parts to the stem is a shaft called the pedicel , which normally dilates at the top to form the receptacle in which the various floral parts are inserted.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds. [1] Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, for example beetles or butterflies; birds, and bats; water; wind; and even plants themselves.
Hoverflies are important pollinators of flowering plants in many ecosystems worldwide. [23] Syrphid flies are frequent flower visitors to a wide range of wild plants, as well as agricultural crops, and are often considered the second-most important group of pollinators after wild bees .
Self-pollination happens in flowers where the stamen and carpel mature at the same time, and are positioned so that the pollen can land on the flower's stigma. This pollination does not require an investment from the plant to provide nectar and pollen as food for pollinators. [6] Some flowers produce diaspores without fertilization ...
Prickles on a blackberry branch. In plant morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles, and in general spinose structures (sometimes called spinose teeth or spinose apical processes), are hard, rigid extensions or modifications of leaves, roots, stems, or buds with sharp, stiff ends, and generally serve the same function: physically defending plants against herbivory.
Some plants are pollinated by wind or water, but the majority are pollinated by animals called pollinators. [7] By producing nectar to attract pollinators, plants encourage to move from flower to flower, carrying pollen with them and resulting in pollination. [6] Close to 90% of all flowering plants are pollinated by animals. [8]