Identify the correct description of the given figure:

The correct answer is Option (2) → Wind-pollinated plant inflorescence with flowers featuring well-exposed stamens.

The figure shows many small flowers packed on one axis (an inflorescence), with long stamens hanging out on all sides. Flowers pollinated by wind have such well-exposed stamens, so that the light, non-sticky pollen is easily carried away by air currents. They also have large, often feathery stigmas to catch pollen from the air.

Option (1) Water-pollinated flowers with stamens covered in a mucilaginous coating. — Incorrect. In water-pollinated plants such as Vallisneria and Hydrilla, it is the pollen grains that have a mucilaginous covering, which protects them from wetting. Such plants do not show tufts of exposed stamens in the air, as the figure does.

Option (2) Wind-pollinated plant inflorescence with flowers featuring well-exposed stamens. — Correct. An inflorescence with numerous flowers and well-exposed stamens is the book’s description of a wind-pollinated plant. The exposed stamens let the pollen be dispersed into wind currents.

Option (3) Cleistogamous flowers exhibiting self-pollination (autogamy). — Incorrect. Cleistogamous flowers do not open at all. Their anthers and stigma lie close together inside the closed flower, so the stamens are never exposed. The figure shows open flowers with stamens sticking out.

Option (4) Dense inflorescence demonstrating complete self-pollination (autogamy). — Incorrect. Autogamy is the transfer of pollen to the stigma of the same flower. Stamens spread out into the air release pollen to be carried away by the wind, which helps cross-pollination, not complete self-pollination.

NCERT Extract:
Pollination – “… Pollination by wind is more common amongst abiotic pollinations. Wind pollination also requires that the pollen grains are light and non-sticky so that they can be transported in wind currents. They often possess well-exposed stamens (so that the pollens are easily dispersed into wind currents, Figure 1.10) and large often-feathery stigma to easily trap air-borne pollen grains. Wind-pollinated flowers often have a single ovule in each ovary and numerous flowers packed into an inflorescence; a familiar example is the corn cob – the tassels you see are nothing but the stigma and style which wave in the wind to trap pollen grains.”