Journal of Palynology

Entomophilous mode of pollination is characteristic of heterostylous plants. Biophytum sensitivum is a heterostylous plant showing tristyly. The plant is self incompatible and cross compatible, in which insects are the agents of cross- pollination. The projected umbels in long peduncle as groups and bright yellow flowers are capable of attracting insects. The flowers possess two whorls of stamens and pentacarpellary pistil and posess trichomes on their peripheral region. The sticky pollen grains with reticulate ornamentation, dorsifixed anther with extrose dehiscence, bifid stigma with pellicle, presence of papillae, curved, bend or straight styles and stigmas among the short, mid and long styled morphs respectively are the adaptations suitable for insect pollination. The most frequent pollinators are thrips (Haplothrips tenuipennis) and honeybees. Other visitors are solitary bees, small butterflies and ants. The foraging period, number of visit in a single flower per minute etc. differs in each type of insects. Effective pollination leads to seed set.