Question

In maize, the flowers are
(a) Absent
(b) Unisexual but on different plants
(c) Bisexual
(d) Unisexual but on the same plant

Answer 1

Hint: Maize is commonly known as corn which is a cereal grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico. It has a leaf stalk in the plant which produces pollen inflorescence and separates the ovuliferous inflorescences which are known as ears. It is a staple food in many parts of the world that surpasses the total production of wheat and rice.

Complete answer:
In maize, the flowers are unisexual but on the same plant. Maize is a monoecious plant. This means it has both male flowers which are staminate and female flowers called pistillate in it. The flowers are unisexual and are imperfect. They grow separately on the same plant. If pollination occurs in these flowers it is geitonogamy. In geitonogamy, the flowers are actually on the same plant and the pollination takes place between them which is known as self-pollination.

Maize provides the development control of Meristem as it is shaped by both indeterminate and indeterminate meristems. The tassel in maize any shades long indeterminate branches from the base and the ear consists of a single spike with no long branches. Spikelet pears and branches arise from the small and developed leaves which are known as bracts.

Additional information: Pollen grain in maize germinates on the stigma and the six germ migrates from pollen grain into the style. The ovules enter the inside of the ovary where the process of fertilization takes place. Each pistol matures into grains or kernels of corn. Maize reproduces by sexual reproduction and half the genes propagate to the next generation which means that desirable traits are found in the crop can be lost in the subsequent generations unless the techniques are used. The best strains of maize were the first generation hybrids which are made from inbred strains that have been optimized for specific traits. Maize undergoes a transition from the vegetative to the reproductive phase when it produces several leaves. This transition is regulated by the reproductive stage in maize which is indeterminate.
So, the correct answer is ‘(d) Unisexual but on the same plant’.

Note: Maize is a member of the grass family whose scientific name is Zea Mays. Humans changed the corn plant uniquely from its primitive, wild ancestors. Maize was dispersed into the lower Central America and was moved to the inter- Andean valleys of Columbia. The first maize grew 25 millimeters long in corn cobs.