Flowers that possess a single ovule in the ovary and are clustered together in an inflorescence are commonly pollinated by which of the following agents?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Wind
Each agent of pollination goes with its own set of flower features. Wind carries pollen by chance, so wind-pollinated flowers make a large amount of light, non-sticky pollen. They also have a single ovule in each ovary and many flowers packed into an inflorescence, as in the corn cob.
Option (1) Bee — Incorrect. Bee-pollinated flowers are usually large, colourful and fragrant, and they offer nectar or pollen as a reward. A single ovule and a packed inflorescence are not their features.
Option (2) Water — Incorrect. Water pollination is rare and is limited to about 30 genera, mostly monocots such as Vallisneria and Hydrilla. The features in the question are those of wind-pollinated flowers.
Option (3) Wind — Correct. Wind-pollinated flowers have a single ovule in each ovary and numerous flowers in an inflorescence. In the corn cob, the tassels are the stigmas and styles that wave in the wind to catch pollen grains.
Option (4) Elephant — Incorrect. Animal pollinators are mostly insects, birds and bats; the book does not name the elephant as a pollinator. In any case, a single ovule and many flowers packed into an inflorescence are features of wind pollination.
NCERT Extract:
Pollination – “… 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.”