Each floret contains three anthers. As these florets mature, anthers emerge and pollen is dispersed through pores that open at the tips of the anthers. The anthers are those gizmos that hang from the tassel during pollination. Under a magnifying lens, anthers look somewhat like the double-barrel of a shotgun . Don't mistake anthers for the pollen itself.
Pollen is contained inside the anthers.
Each pollen grain contains the male genetic material necessary for fertilizing the ovary of one potential kernel. All of the pollen from a single anther may be released in as little as three minutes. An individual tassel may take as long as seven days to finish shedding its pollen, although the greatest volume of pollen may be shed during the second and third day of anther emergence. Because of natural field variability in plant development, a whole field may take as long as 14 days to complete pollen shed. If the anthers are wet, the pores will not open and pollen will not be released.