- Flowers are most often pollinated through the aid of curious or foraging insects, birds and animals. Flowers that rely on animals for pollination are usually big, brightly colored and fragrant to attract insects and other animals. These visitors then explore the blooms and unknowingly transfer pollen or nectar from plant to plant. While bees are the primary animal pollinator, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and hummingbirds are also common pollinators of flowering plants.
- Aquatic plants such as waterweeds and pondweeds are pollinated by water, into which these plants directly release their pollen and seeds. Pollen floats along the water's surface from flower to flower in a rare process called surface hydrophily. In a few other instances, pollen is dispersed and travels underwater. The U.S. Forest Service states that many water-pollinated plants are considered highly invasive due to their widespread dispersal method.
- Some flowers are pollinated by wind, which carries pollen from one plant to land on the stigma of another plant. Plants that rely on wind for pollination usually feature flowers that have long stamens and pistils, and are typically small, unscented and drab in color since they don't need to attract animals for pollination. Wind-pollinated plants usually bloom in large populations during early spring to prevent the interference of new leaves in the release and collection of pollen.
- Some plants are self-pollinators, which means that the pollen from the stamen of a particular flower can fertilize the stigma of that same flower. Flowers that self-pollinate are usually weaker than flowers that reproduce through cross-pollination, which is when pollen from one flower pollinates another flower of the same species. Self-pollination helps ensure seeding in the absence of pollinators, preserves well-adapted genotypes and helps isolated specimens overcome sterility.
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