Question

Parachute mechanism of fruit dispersal is found in
a. Bombax
b. Taraxacum
c. Holoptelea
d. Polygonum

Answer 1

Hint: The seeds are usually present in fruit, and for the seed to disperse there should be a mechanism, generally the purpose of seed dispersion is to move the seed away from the mother plant, so that seed may get the more favorable and less competitive environment to grow.

Complete answer:
- Some fruits have built in the mechanism so that they can disperse easily, where some require agents to carry or disperse the seeds.
- Some modifications like composition and weight and structure help in the dispersion of seeds.
- Generally, wind-dispersed seeds are lightweight and also have appendages so that they travel easily in the wind. And some have very lightweight and hairy structures for dispersal by wind, example includes the dandelion.
- Some have a parachute-like mechanism for them to float.
- In the members of Taraxacum officinale, the seed dispersal is by wind and it by parachute mechanism.
- If there is any slight wind gust, the seeds of this family have hair like structure and raise them and propel into the air like a parachute, even the native members of the sunflower family also disperse seeds by this mechanism.
- In some parachutes, a crown of silky hair arises from the top of seeds.
- From the above-given options, Taraxacum is the right answer.
- The remaining given options members of plants do not show the wind dispersal of seeds, only the members of Taraxacum and some sunflower members show the wind seed dispersal.

Hence, The correct answer is option (B).

Note: Majorly there are five types of seed dispersion that occur they are gravity, wind, ballistic, water, and vectors or insects and among all wind, dispersion has a lot of benefits as it allows to disperse far away from the mother plant and from the native habitats.