Question

For higher plants, flowers are chiefly used as a basis of classification, because

• A. These show a great variety in colour.
• B. It can be preserved easily.
• C. Reproductive parts are more conservative than vegetative parts.
• D. None of the above.

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Reproductive parts are more conservative than vegetative parts.

Flower colour is a vegetative character that exhibit great phenotypic plasticity, i.e,. it is extremely variable within a genus and even within a species and thus does not form a suitable criteria for classification which makes option A is incorrect. As compared to flowers, leaves and stem can be preserved for long due to presence of dead sclerenchymatous tissues which makes option B incorrect.

Since, sexual phase of plant life is restricted to a very brief period as compared to vegetative characters which are exhibited throughout the life span. This results in lesser exposure of sexual characters to the evolutionary pressure which in turn makes them more conservative and constant than vegetative characters.

Thus, the correct answer is option C.