Basil pollen grain detail. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a pollen grain from the flower of a basil (Ocimum basilicum) plant. Basil is a culinary herb of the family Lamiaceae (mints). It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. Pollen grains are the male gametes (sex cells) of a plant. Their characteristic surface is used by botanists to recognise and classify plants. Pollen in plants is used for transferring male genetic material from the anther of a single flower to the stigma of another in cross-pollination. In a case of self-pollination, this process takes place from the anther of a flower to the stigma of the same flower. Magnification: x3000, when printed 10 centimetres wide.