Pollination Terminology

Pollination is a fairly involved topic that I am just beginning to learn. Here is some basic terminology:

Male flowers: produce pollen and have only male parts (stamen, anther, and filament).

Female flowers: produce fruit and have only female parts (pistil, stigma, style, ovary, ovule).

Imperfect flower: a flower that has either all male parts or all female parts, but not both.

Perfect flower: a flower that has both male and female parts.

Self pollination: refers to the transfer of pollen from the male flower parts to the female parts of the same flower.

Wind pollination: pollen that is transferred to other flowers via air currents over a long distances.

Cross pollination: pollen that is transferred, mainly by insects, between flowers.

Self sterile: a plant that cannot be pollinated by its own pollen.

Self fertile: a plant that can be pollinated by its own pollen.