When a honeybee pollinates a perfect flower, it transfers the pollen from the:

• A. Stigma to the anther
• B. Anther to the calyx
• C. Stigma to the petals
• D. Anther to stigma

Answer: (D)

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male to the female reproductive part of a flower. In a perfect flower, pollen is produced on the anther, which is part of the stamen, and it must land on the stigma, the receptive surface on the pistil, to begin fertilization. This is exactly what a honeybee accomplishes when it moves pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigma of another. The stigma is the sticky or feathery surface that captures pollen, while the calyx and petals are outer structures and not sites where pollen is received for fertilization. So the transfer occurs from the anther to the stigma.