pollinium

[ puh-lin-ee-uhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Botany.

, plural pol·lin·i·a [p, uh, -, lin, -ee-, uh].

an agglutinated mass or body of pollen grains, characteristic of plants of the orchid and milkweed families.

pollinium

/ pəˈlɪnɪəm /

a mass of cohering pollen grains, produced by plants such as orchids and transported as a whole during pollination

pollinium

/ pŏ-lĭn′ē-əm /

, Plural pollinia

A mass or packet of pollen grains specialized for transfer to other flowers as a unit by pollinating insects. Orchids and milkweeds produce pollinia.

1860–65; < New Latin, equivalent to pollin- (stem of pollen ) pollen + -ium -ium

C19: New Latin; see pollen

If the pollinium was originally vertical, after a time it assumed a horizontal position.

In this latter case we have a pollinium in its most highly developed and perfect condition.

Pollinium of an Orchis (Habenaria), with its stalk attached to a sticky gland; magnified.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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