The passage describes the sexual reproduction of a typical wind-pollinated plant.

Complete the passage by writing a suitable word in each blank space.

In wind-pollinated plants, the flowers are highly adapted for wind capture. The male structures, known as the stamens, feature long filaments that allow the pollen-producing 1. _____________ to hang outside the flower. The pollen grains themselves are formed via a cell division process called 2. _____________ to ensure they are haploid. When released, these lightweight grains are carried by the wind to land on the large, feathery 3. _____________ of a female flower. The pollen grain then germinates, sending a pollen tube down the 4. _____________ to reach the ovary. The male gamete enters the 5. _____________ via the micropyle. The subsequent fusion of the male and female gamete nuclei is called 6. _____________. After this event, the fertilised egg develops into an embryo, and the surrounding integuments of the ovule form a tough protective 7. _____________.

Flowers have evolved different features depending on how they are pollinated.

State two differences between the petals of insect-pollinated flowers and those of wind-pollinated flowers.

Explain why wind-pollinated flowers typically have long, feathery stigmas that hang outside the flower.