Which of the following plants employs ‘sexual deceit’ to get pollination done by a species of bee?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Ophrys
Most orchids attract their pollinator insects and offer rewards, but not all of them do. The Mediterranean orchid Ophrys gets a species of bee to pollinate it by sexual deceit. One petal of its flower looks like the female bee in size, colour and markings. The male bee tries to mate with the flower, gets dusted with pollen, and carries it to the next flower.
The other plants are known for other things in this chapter. The fig is pollinated by its own partner wasp in return for seeds, Calotropis protects itself from cattle and goats with poisonous cardiac glycosides, and Cuscuta is a parasitic plant on hedge plants.
NCERT Extract:
Population Interactions – “… Not all orchids offer rewards. The Mediterranean orchid Ophrys employs ‘sexual deceit’ to get pollination done by a species of bee. One petal of its flower bears an uncanny resemblance to the female of the bee in size, colour and markings.”