Do not be alarmed, this pollen will not cause allergies. Note how the pollen is stuck to the anthers of this wild geranium (Geranium maculatum). This pollen is designed to stick to visiting insects, hitching a ride to the next flower. The pollen of most showy blossoms is sticky. The pollen that causes allergies is airborne, and is smaller and not sticky. Since flowers that produce airborne pollen have no need for insects to visit. Their flowers are typically small, green or brown blooms that attract little attention.
The green structure among the anthers is the stigma, or top of the female portion of the flower. It is where the pollen (from another flower) will enter to fertilize the ovum in the ovary at the base of the structure. The stigma is closed, indicating the flower may have received pollen.
This photograph was taken with a Nikon D90 and a Micro-Nikkor 60mm AF, handheld, at its closest focus point. The image is cropped but the ISO 200 stands up pretty well. Other parameters are f/16, 1/250 sec. Post-processed in Aperture.
The image below is the setting where the macro shot above was taken. For another perspective, see this earlier post of a honeybee visiting a wild geranium.
Wild Geraniums
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