An anther is the pollen-producing part of a flower's stamen. Mango flowers produce pollen that can be carried to receptive stigmas, often by insect visitors. The timing of pollen release and the conditions around the flowers affect whether that pollen contributes to fruit formation. Anthers are not seeds or miniature fruit, and a mass of fallen flower parts does not necessarily indicate a failed crop. Distinguish normal spent flowers from diseased panicles and lost developing fruitlets.
Anthesis is the period when a flower opens and functions in reproduction. A mango panicle contains many flowers that do not all open at exactly the same moment, so a flowering tree can present a changing mixture of buds, open flowers, and spent flowers. Weather and insect activity during this period can affect successful pollination. The term helps growers describe observations precisely without confusing first panicle emergence with the actual opening and reproductive activity of individual flowers.