Anther
/ˈænθɚ/
Definition
Anther is the pollen-producing part of a flower’s stamen, the male reproductive structure. It usually sits at the tip of a slender stalk called the filament and contains pollen sacs where pollen grains develop. When mature, the anther opens to release pollen for transfer to a stigma, which can lead to fertilization. This distinguishes it from the filament, which supports the anther but does not make pollen.
Function in Plants
- Pollen release: It is the part of the stamen that produces and releases pollen, making sexual reproduction possible in flowering plants and many gymnosperms.
- Pollination timing: How and when it opens affects whether pollen is available to wind or animal pollinators, which can influence seed set and fruit production.
- Identification clues: Its color, shape, attachment, and opening pattern are useful traits in plant identification and in distinguishing related species or flower types.
- Breeding and hybridizing: In controlled pollination, growers may remove it before pollen is shed to reduce self-pollination and direct crosses between selected plants.
Related Terms
Stamen
Stamen refers to the male reproductive structure of a flower. It usually consists of a filament, the stalk, and an…
Filament
Filament refers to the slender stalk of a stamen, the male reproductive part of a flower. It supports the anther, which…
Pollen
Pollen is a fine, powdery substance made in the anthers of seed plants. It consists of tiny grains that carry the male…
Theca
Theca refers to one of the two pollen sacs in a typical anther, the pollen-bearing part of a flower’s stamen. Each…
Microsporangium
Microsporangium refers to the pollen-producing spore case in seed plants and other vascular plants. It is a plant…
Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male part of a flower, the anther, to the female part, the stigma, of…
Flower
Flower is the reproductive structure of a flowering plant, usually containing stamens, which produce pollen, and one or…
Anthesis
Anthesis refers to the stage in a flower’s development when it is fully open and functionally mature, especially for…