How do corn silk strands help corn flowers receive pollen?

In corn (Zea mays), the strands known as corn silk are the elongated styles of the female flowers. These silks protrude from the tops of the ears to capture wind-borne pollen released from the male tassels.123

Because corn is wind-pollinated, the silks serve as the receptive surfaces for pollen grains. Once a pollen grain lands on a silk, it germinates and grows a pollen tube that travels down the length of the silk thread to reach the ovule. Each individual silk thread is connected to a potential kernel on the ear, and successful fertilization requires that each silk receives pollen to produce a fully developed grain.324