pollinium

American  

[puh-lin-ee-uhm] / pəˈlɪn i əm /

noun

Botany.

plural

pollinia

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

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pollinium British  

/ pəˈlɪnɪəm /

noun

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

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pollinium Scientific  

/ pŏ-lĭn′ē-əm /

plural

pollinia

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

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Etymology

Origin of pollinium

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

Example Sentences

In the latter position, if the insect visited another flower, the pollinium would exactly hit the sticky stigmatic surface and thus effect fertilisation.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

At the base of the pedicel is a small viscid disc by which the pollinium is attached to the head or proboscis of one of the insects which visit the flower.

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

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

From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles

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

From Darwin and Modern Science by Seward, A. C. (Albert Charles)

A pollinium, when highly developed, consists of a mass of pollen-grains, affixed to an elastic foot-stalk or caudicle, and this to a little mass of extremely viscid matter.

From The Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection, 6th Edition by Darwin, Charles