Pollination by wind
Flowers pollinated by wind are called anemophilous flowers. In anemophilous flowers, pistillate flowers and staminate flowers are in most cases situated separately.
These flowers may have the following adaptations for carrying out the process of pollination better:
- the flowers arising at the apex of the plant;
- producing a large quantity of pollen;
- the pollen being small and light;
- branched stigmas being present;
- arising as inflorescences.
Examples of flowers pollinated by wind — paddy, maize, grasses, coconut.
Figure to be added
Everything here is about odds
The wind does not aim. A grain of pollen released into it is very unlikely to land on the right stigma, so an anemophilous flower does two things: it releases an enormous amount of pollen, and it makes the target as large as possible — hence the feathery branched stigma, which is a net.
Why they are plain
Wind-pollinated flowers have no scent, no nectar and barely any petals. None of that is a deficiency — it is saved expense. There is nothing to attract, so nothing is spent on attracting.