Question

Panmictic plant multiplies
(A) Sexually
(B) Asexually
(C) Parthenogenetically
(D) By stolons

Answer 1

Hint: The term ‘Panmictic’ refers to a population where all the individuals are potential partners. Random mating takes place between the individuals of the population without any barrier. When an organism doesn’t have any barrier in mating, it makes use of its full potential to interbreed with the other members of the same population.

Complete answer:
In a population where all the individuals are potential partners, they undergo random mating. This process is known as panmixia. There are no mating restrictions, meaning, there are no genetic and behavioural barriers. Since they are undergoing random mating, all kinds of genetic recombination is possible leading to varied genetic diversity. Recombination is a characteristic feature of sexual mode of reproduction.
The individuals of that population don’t sort and select between different adults, rather choose their mating partner randomly. Mating between two individuals is not influenced by external and internal factors, such as environment or heredity. The individuals of the panmictic population show varied genetic diversity due to continuous gene flow. Random mating or panmixia is one of the assumptions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium but it is not common in natural populations.

Hence the correct answer is option(A)

Note: Any organism (plant or animal) if it’s undergoing panmixia, it’s clear that they will multiply only through sexual mode of reproduction, where there is equal chance of the male and the female partner to get selected and interbreed among themselves. Overtime, the panmictic population becomes more genetically uniform.