The ovary, which forms the round base of the pistil, contains the ovules. The anthers consist of microsporangia, and the ovules megasporangia. Cell divisions in the microsporangia and megasporangia results in the production of spores. Typically, one spore in each ovule grows into a microscopic female gametophyte and produces one egg cell. In the anther, the spores, called pollen grains, contain microscopic male gametophytes and each pollen grain produces two sperm cells.
Pollination occurs when a pollen grain is transferred from the anther to the pistil.
When this process happens on one plant, it's called self-pollination. Cross-pollination happens from one plant to another plant. In conifers, the reproductive parts are housed within the cones. A conifer has two kinds of cones, the pollen, or male, cone is the small and soft. Seed, or female, cones are the larger, hard cones.