Question

A tuft of hair developed as a crown in the family
a. Leguminosae
b. Asclepiadaceae
c. Apocynaceae
d. Both (b) and(c)

Answer 1

Hint: Tuft of hair developed as a crown is called a coma and is a modified version of persistent calyx. The tuft of hair can be present at either one or both ends of seed and is helpful in seed dispersal.

Complete Answer:
Option a: Leguminosae (legumes) is one of the largest plant families. It is commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family. They are mostly woody plants.

Option b: A tuft of hair developed as a crown which is called a coma. It is a modified form of the persistent calyx. It aids the wind dispersal (anemochory) of the seeds. Seed dispersal is an essential part of the plant life cycle. If the seed gets widely distributed in space then it is biologically advantageous. It is found in most of the members of both family Asclepiadaceae and Apocynaceae.

Option c: A tuft of hair developed as a crown which is called a coma. It is a modified form of the persistent calyx. It aids the wind dispersal (anemochory) of the seeds. Seed dispersal is an essential part of the plant life cycle. If the seed gets widely distributed in space then it is biologically advantageous. It is found in most of the members of both family Asclepiadaceae and Apocynaceae.

Thus, the correct option is D) Both (b) and (c).

Note: It is to be noted that while comma arises from the seed or other part, whereas a pappus is a modified calyx. Some other plants with tufts of hair are - Alstonia which has two tufts, Calotropis and Holarrhena.