Anther dehiscing direction

The direction of anther dehiscence describes which way the two anther lobes face, and therefore which way the pollen is released, relative to the centre of the flower — this is a separate classification from how the anther splits open (longitudinal, transverse, poricidal or valvular, covered in 4.4.6). In an introrse anther, the lobes face inward, toward the gynoecium at the centre of the flower, so pollen is shed directly onto the stigma or toward the flower's own centre — seen in flowers like Dianthus. In an extrorse anther, the lobes face outward, away from the centre and toward the perianth (petals/sepals), releasing pollen toward visiting pollinators rather than toward the flower's own stigma — seen in flowers like Argemone. This distinction matters functionally: an introrse orientation favours self-pollination (the pollen is released close to the flower's own stigma), while an extrorse orientation favours cr …