Question

Anemophilous type of pollination is found in
A. Cocos
B. Salvia
C. Callistemon
D. Vallisneria

Answer 1

Hint:Wind pollination also requires that the pollen grains are light and non-sticky so that they can be transported in wind currents.

Complete answer:
The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of a pistil is known as pollination. Plants are pollinated by both abiotic (wind and water) and biotic (animals) agents. Majority of plants use biotic agents for pollination. Only a small number of plants use abiotic agents.

The type of pollination that takes place by wind is called anemophilous pollination. Cocos or coconut is commonly pollinated by winds and insects. They are monoecious where the male and female structures are present on the same inflorescence. The male flowers are greater in number than the female flowers. The male flowers are borne on the top portion of spikelets which are attached to a main axis or peduncle. The female flowers are located at the base.

Pollination in Salvia takes place through insects. A pollinator in search of nectar lands and pushes the lower lever arms of the flower and pollen grains from the upper lever arms sticks onto the head or back of the pollinator. The pollinator then visits other flowers of the same species to transfer pollen to the stigma of the plant.

Callistemon, commonly called bottlebrush, is a genus of 40 species of shrubs of the family Myrtaceae. They are usually pollinated by birds. As the animals feed on the flower's nectar, they transfer pollen from the anthers of one flower cluster to the stigma found at the center of another flower cluster, pollinating the plant.

In Vallisneria, pollination takes place with the help of water. The female flower comes up to the surface of water through the long stalk. The pollen grains are released on to the surface of water. They are passively carried by water currents where some eventually reach the female flowers and the stigma.

Thus, the correct answer is Cocos.

Note: There is less chance that pollen grains would come into contact with the stigma in both wind and water pollination. The flowers produce large quantities of pollen relative to the number of ovules available for pollination to compensate for this instability and the resulting loss of pollen grains.