Question

Insect pollinated flowers usually possess
(a)Sticky pollens with a rough surface
(b)Large quantities if pollens
(c)Brightly colored pollens
(d)Dry pollens with smooth surfaces

Answer 1

Hint: Insect pollinated flowers have developed all the modes and mechanisms that are needed to attract the insects as per the interest and nature of the insects so that the pollination can be completed successfully in such flowers.

Complete step-by-step answer:

The flowers that are pollinated by insects are highly specialized and have brightly colored and attractive petals because insects are attracted more towards bright colors. Besides these, the pollen is rough and has sticky material. These flowers are called entomophilous flowers and some of their properties have been listed below –
-The flowers are brightly colored and attractive in structure with colored petals.
-They often disperse fragrance that helps in attracting insects.
-The floral structures are often different from other flowers because, in these flowers, the structures are modified to be pollinated by the insects.
-Unlike the water or wind-pollinated flowers, the insect-pollinated flowers produce less number of pollen grains because there is less chance of wastage of pollen grains in comparison to the wind and water pollination.
-The pollen grains in the insect-pollinated flowers are sticky and have rough surfaces so that they can be carried over by the insect by getting adhered to their body parts.
Pollens of insect-pollinated flowers have been shown in the diagram below –
So, the correct answer is ‘Sticky pollens with rough surface’.

Note: Large quantities of pollen are produced by wind and water pollinated plants because here, large numbers of pollen grains are required to enhance the chances of successful pollination. Dry pollens can’t stick to the insect body and thus the insect-pollinated flowers produce sticky pollens that are with rough surfaces for providing aid in the attachment.