Anatomy solves the puzzle of explosive pollen release in wind-pollinated urticalean rosids.
Giseli D PedersoliFlávia M LemeViviane G LeiteSimone Pádua TeixeiraPublished in: American journal of botany (2019)
The anatomical structure of the pistillode and the finding of mucilaginous cells are the main features that help in the understanding the explosive mechanism of pollen release in urticalean rosids. The pistillode can be considered an exaptation because it was evolved later to provide a new role in the plant, optimizing male fitness.