Question

A student observed a plant with stellate hairs on vegetative parts and the fruit dehiscing into many seeded mericarps, which one of the following characters is also associated with that plant?

• A. Failure of the germination of pollen grains on the stigma of the same flower
• B. Presence of monosiphonous pollen grains
• C. 3-10 bracteoles forming a whorl on the calyx
• D. Two carpels in the gynoecium of a flower

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Failure of the germination of pollen grains on the stigma of the same flower

The plant which has stellate hairs on vegetative parts belongs to the section Eremophila..
here, there is variation in flower shape, the most common being two petals at the top of the tube and three below, with the stamens enclosed in the tube. Species with this arrangement fail to self-pollinate and are generally insect pollinated.
Thus, the correct answer is option (A).