pollinium
/pəˈlɪnɪəm
/noun (plural pollinia /pəˈlɪnɪə/) Botany
A coherent mass of pollen grains that is the product of each anther lobe of some flowers, especially orchids. Single or paired pollinia are often attached to, and carried by, pollinating insects.Pollination occurs when insects carrying pollinia visit another flower and deposit pollen on the stigma....
- Nectar is the most common reward amongst epidendroid orchids since their pollen occurs in discrete masses within pollinia and is generally inaccessible to foraging insects.
- A single pollinium from a flower of a pollen donor was then inserted into the exposed stigmatic chamber, convex margin first, and the anther wings were gently pressed back together.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from Latin pollen, pollin- 'pollen'.