The sporophyte bears two types of reproductive structures referred to as male and female cones. Each cone is considered to be a modified branch with a number of modified leaves, called scales or sporophylls . Each sporophyll bears a structure called a sporangium in which the spores are produced. In these cones, the modified leaves are called microsporophylls . Each microsporophyll bears a microsporangium in which the microspores are produced.
Pollination is the transfer of the whole male gametophyte to the female plant.
In pine, the pollen is blown by wind. The female cones typically form higher up in the tree, and also usually take several years to develop. This stimulates production of the actual megaspore by the female. The pollen forms two sperm nuclei which travel up the pollen tube toward the archegonia. Eventually one of these sperm nuclei fertilizes one of the eggs in one of the archegonia in each of the ovules.