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pollinium

  (pŏ-lĭn'ē-əm) pronunciation
n., pl. -i·a (-ē-ə).

A mass of coherent pollen grains, found in the flowers of orchids and milkweeds.

[New Latin, from pollen, pollin-, pollen. See pollinate.]


 
 
Wikipedia: Pollinium
Pollinia of a Phalaenopsis orchid
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Pollinia of a Phalaenopsis orchid

Pollinium, or plural pollinia, is a coherent mass of pollen grains.

They are the product of only one anther, but are transferred, during pollination, as a single unit. This is regularly seen in various plants, such as orchids and many species of milkweeds (Asclepiadoideae).

Most orchids have waxy pollinia. These are connected to one or two elongate stipes, which in turn are attached to the sticky viscidium.

Some orchid genera have mealy pollinia. These are tapering into a caudicle (stalk), attached to the viscidium. They extend into the middle section of the column.

The combination of pollinia, caudicles, stipes and viscidium form the pollinarium.


 
 

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pollinium" Read more

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