What spreads pollen?

Answer 1

Answer

The transfer of pollen from a stamen to a pistil; fertilization in flowering plants. It takes place through self-pollination or cross-pollination. Please note that this answer refers specifically to pollination of angiosperms and gymnosperms.

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Self-pollination

From Wikipedia:

Self-pollination is a form of pollination that can occur when a flower has both stamen and a carpel in which the cultivar or species is self fertile and the stamens and the sticky stigma of the carpel contact each other to accomplish pollination. The term is inaccurately used in many cases where an outside pollinator is actually required; such plants are merely self fertile, or self pollenizing.

Few plants actually self pollinate. The mechanism is seen most often in some legumes such as peanuts. In another legume, Soybeans, the flowers open and remain receptive to insect cross pollination during the day; if this is not accomplished, the flowers self pollinate as they are closing.

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Cross-pollination

The process in which the pollen from the anther of the male flower of a plant comes into contact with the ovary of a female flower of another plant, resulting in pollination.

Methods/ Agents of cross-pollination are:

1. Humans (Cultivation)
2. Insects
3. Wind
4. Animals (Birds, bats)

Answer 2

Pollen is typically spread by wind, water, insects, birds, or other animals depending on the plant species. These agents help transport pollen from the male reproductive organs to the female reproductive organs of plants for pollination to occur.