Anthers produce pollen; the stigma is the receptive surface that can receive it. Pollen carries material needed for flowering plants to reproduce. Pollination happens when pollen reaches a flower's receptive stigma. A bee visiting for food can carry pollen between flowers of the same kind. Pollination is not the same as a seed already forming: successful fertilisation and development still need to follow.
Plants, animals and ecosystems · Discover & try
How can a visitor help a flower make seeds?
Reading level 1 of 5 · EarlyChange
Word help
anther
A pollen-producing part of a flower.
stigma
A receptive surface that can receive pollen.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Symbolic pollen transfer between simplified flowers; colour is a display label, not a compatibility test in real plants.
What to look for
- Pollen moves from anther to stigma
- A visit can miss the receptive surface
- Pollination precedes fertilisation
Explain what you noticed
A visitor deposits pollen on a different plant species. Does the visit alone prove seeds will develop?
Keep this idea: Transfer to a compatible receptive stigma is a step, not the entire seed-making process.
Follow the sources
- U.S. Forest Service — What Is Pollination and Who Does It?
- U.S. Forest Service — Native Wildflowers and Bees of Western Montana
Source material checked 2026-10-29. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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