- Anemophily
Pollination mediated by wind, in which airborne pollen grains are transported to receptive flowers. It is often associated with monoecy and dioecy, since separate flowers or individuals rely on chance pollen dispersal.
Plane and olive trees rely heavily on anemophily.
- Dioecy
A plant reproductive condition where male and female flowers are produced on separate individuals, so that a species has distinct male and female plants. It contrasts with monoecy and hermaphroditism.
Ginkgo trees are dioecious, with pollen-producing and seed-producing individuals separate.
- Entomophily
Pollination mediated by insects, in which floral traits such as colour, scent, or nectar attract pollinators that transfer pollen between flowers. It is common in species with hermaphroditism, where each flower can both donate and receive pollen.
Jacarandas are entomophilous, with showy purple flowers that attract bees.
- Hermaphroditism
A condition in which a flower contains both functional male and female reproductive organs within the same floral structure. It differs from monoecy and dioecy, where male and female flowers are separate.
Jacaranda flowers are hermaphroditic, each containing stamens and a carpel.
- Inflorescence
A cluster of flowers arranged on a stem, composed of a main axis and one or more branches, where each branch may bear a single flower or a group of flowers.
The spherical clusters of plane tree flowers are an inflorescence.
- Monoecy
A plant reproductive condition where both male and female flowers are borne on the same individual. It is distinct from dioecy, where the sexes are on separate individuals, and from hermaphroditism, where both sexes occur in the same flower.
Plane trees are monoecious, carrying both pollen-producing and ovule-bearing flowers.
- Outcrossing
The transfer of pollen between genetically distinct individuals, promoting genetic diversity through cross-fertilisation rather than self-fertilisation. It contrasts with reproduction limited to a single plant and is common in species with dioecy, monoecy, or hermaphroditism.
Olive trees favour outcrossing when pollen arrives from other individuals.