A pollen-presenter is an area on the tip of the style in flowers of plants of the family Proteaceae on which the anthers release their pollen prior to anthesis. To ensure pollination, the style grows during anthesis, sticking out the pollen-presenter prominently, and so ensuring that the pollen easily contacts the bodies of potential pollination vectors such as bees, birds and nectarivorous mammals. The systematic depositing of pollen on the tip of the style implies the plants have some strategy to avoid excessive self-pollination.
References
- P.F. Yeo (6 December 2012). Secondary Pollen Presentation: Form, Function and Evolution. Springer Science & Business Media. pp. 71–72. ISBN 978-3-7091-6670-3.