Cross Pollenization

Cross Pollenization by Peter Shea overall Chair Community Service District 9650.

Definition of Pollination.

Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). The receptive part of the carpel is called a stigma in the flowers of angiosperms and a micropyle in gymnosperms. The study of pollination brings together many disciplines, such as botany, horticulture, entomology, and ecology. Pollination is important in horticulture because most plant fruits will not develop if the ovules are not fertilized.
The process of pollination requires pollinators as agents that carry or move the pollen grains from the anther to the receptive part of the carpel. Methods of pollination, categorized by pollinator type, are:
Entomophily: pollination by insects
Bee pollination on Sunflower
Madagascar orchid requires a moth with a 30 cm (1 foot) long tongue.
Beetles pollinate cycads
Zoophily: pollination by animals such as birds or bats
Hummingbird
Anemophily: pollination by wind
Very common in grasses
Sweet chestnut and Tridax
Conifers
Hydrophily: pollination by water
Mesophytes like Ribbonweed.

Pollination also requires consideration of pollenizers. (Pollinator and pollenizer are often confused: a pollinator is the agent that moves the pollen, whether it be wind, bees, bats, moths, or birds; a pollenizer is the plant that provides the pollen.) Some plants are self fertile or self compatible, and can pollenize themselves. Other plants have chemical or physical barriers to self pollenization, and need to be cross pollinated. With self infertile plants, not only pollinators must be considered but pollenizers as well. In pollination management, a good pollenizer is a plant that provides compatible, viable and plentiful pollen, and blooms at the same time as the plant that is pollenized.

Pollination can be cross-pollination with a pollinator and an external pollenizer, self-pollination without any pollinator, or self pollenization with a pollinator:
Cross-pollination (syngamy): pollen is delivered to a flower of a different plant
Self-pollenization (autogamy): pollen moves to the female part of the same flower, or to another flower on the same individual plant. This is sometimes referred to as self pollination, but this is not synonymous with autogamy. Clarity requires that the term self pollination be restricted to those plants that accomplish pollination without an external pollinator (example: the stamens actually grow into contact with the pistil to transfer the pollen). Most peach varieties are autogamous, but not truly self pollinated, as it is generally an insect pollinator that moves the pollen from anther to stigma.
Cleistogamy, pollination that occurs before the flower opens is always self-pollination. Some cleistogamous flowers never open, in contrast to chasmogamous flowers that open and then are pollinated.

I was thinking of just writing a simple article on cross pollenization but became so engrossed with the definition that I thought that I would share the definition with you.
Now to the analogy I like to draw between the flowering of plants in the environment and the parallel of Rotary in society as a flower of great beauty.
Just as a plant pollination is important in horticulture because most plant fruits will not develop if the ovules are not fertilized, so it is with Rotary or our clubs would become sterile, shallow shows of camaraderie and self serving do gooders.
How are Rotary clubs fertilized with ideas of service above self? These ideas are inherent in each individual and club members are a means of self pollenization so members in each club can be both pollinators and pollenizers and so the club becomes a fertile ground for service above self. This process can take place between individual members and through Board meetings and club assemblies.

But now to cross pollinzation where the pollinator comes from outside the club and is fertilized by ideas from a different clubs. The pollinators could be Rotary International or Rotary at a District level or a club member from a different club pollenizing by delivering ideas and support to each club. I would like to think that this blogspot might also be a pollinator. Whether you think of http://www.serviceaboveself.blogspot.com/ as an insect, animal, wind or water it does not matter as long as we are open to new ideas, improvements and positive growth. I would also like to think that there are individuals who could be the pollinators like bees, birds, and a gentle breath of wind or a refreshing drop of clear water.
For ideas of cross pollinization look at Fredrick Millard’s article on People to People on this site. If you have ideas to share please feel free to contribute. Ring or email a Rotary mate (friend if you’re a politican) and share this site with them.