"Lever mechanism" or "turn pipe mechanism" for pollination is characteristic feature of
“Lever mechanism" or "turn pipe mechanism" for pollination is a characteristic feature of Salvia. This mechanism operates to promote cross-pollination. Salvia is pollinated by bees (entomophily). It has protandrous flowers (male reproductive parts mature earlier than female) with bilipped corolla. The lower lip acts as a landing platform for the insect. Each stamen bears a fertile anther lobe at the upper end and a sterile anther plate at the lower end. The two anther plates block the path of the insect. As the insect moves inward in search of nectar, its head pushes against the sterile anther plates and forces the fertile anther lobes to strike against its back and dust pollen grains. The style brings the stigma in such a position that it brushes against the back of the insect and collects pollen grains brought by the insect from a young flower.
In some orchids, e.g:- Ophrys speculum, the shape, size, odour and colour of the flowers resemble that of a female moth Colpa. The orchid employs a mechanism called sexual deceit to lure the moth into pollinating the flowers. The male moth mistakes the orchid flower for the female moth and tries to copulate (pseudocopulation). In this attempt, it pollinates the flower.
Pronuba yuccasella (a moth) deposits its eggs in the ovary of the Yucca flower and simultaneously collects and deposits the pollen in the stigma, thus bringing about pollination.
In Ficus carica (fig), the pollination is carried out through the agency of wasp (Blastophaga).