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catkin
Sign in to saveAlso known as catkin-bearing plants, amentaceous plants, amentiferae, amentiferous plants, ament
thumb|Detail of a male flowering catkin on a willow ([[Salix sp.)]] A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in Salix). It contains many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem that is often drooping. Catkins are found in many plant families, including Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Salicaceae.
A catkin is a long, slender cluster of small flowers that grows on trees like willows and birches, typically lacking showy petals and relying on wind to spread pollen between plants. They matter because they represent an efficient reproductive strategy used by many tree species across different plant families to ensure successful pollination.
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thumb|Detail of a male flowering catkin on a willow ([[Salix sp.)]] A catkin or ament is a slim, cylindrical flower cluster (a spike), with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated (anemophilous) but sometimes insect-pollinated (as in Salix). It contains many, usually unisexual flowers, arranged closely along a central stem that is often drooping. Catkins are found in many plant families, including Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Salicaceae.
== Occurrence == Catkin-bearing plants include many trees or shrubs such as birch, willow, aspen, hickory, sweet chestnut, and sweetfern (Comptonia).