Question

Add a note on pollination mechanism in Salvia.

Answer 1

Pollination mechanism in Salvia:
i. In Salvia, flower is bisexual and protandrous, i.e. anthers mature earlier than stigma.
ii. The two stamens of flower have long bifurcated connective.
iii. Upper branch of connective bears fertile anther lobe, while lower has sterile anther lobe.
iv. When an insect enters the flower, it pushes the lower sterile lobes. As a result, the upper fertile anther lobe bends down. 

v. The fertile anther lobe comes in contact with back side of insect body and pollen grains are dusted there.
vi. When the same insect visits another flower with matured gynoecium, the pollen grains are picked up 
by the receptive stigma.
vii. This mechanism is called lever-mechanism or turn-pipe mechanism.