Question

The inflorescence found in coconut plant is:
A. Compound spadix
B. Hypanthodium
C. Cyathium
D. Vesti cillaster

Answer 1

Hint: Coconut flowers are bisexual. It is borne singly in the axil of each leaf. Bisexual flowers are those that have both male and female reproductive units in the same flower i.e both sexes are present in a flower.

Complete answer: The compound spadix inflorescence is formed when the axis of the spadix branches. It is seen in coconuts and in many other palms. The whole inflorescence is covered by a stiff boat-shaped spathe. Some palms may have smaller spathes for the separate segments of the spadix.
A spadix is a type of spike-like inflorescence. It has small flowers that are borne on a fleshy stem. Spadices are a typical feature of the family Araceae. The spadix is usually surrounded by a leaf-like curved bract known as a spathe. An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers that are arranged on a stem. It is composed of the main branch with a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seedling plants where flowers are formed.
a) Hypanthodium is a fleshy receptacle that forms a hollow cavity. They have an apical opening known as the ostiole. The flowers develop along the inner walls of the hollow cavity. An example of this inflorescence is Ficus.
b) Cyathium inflorescence looks like a single flower. It is a cup-shaped involucre that is formed by several bracts enclosing a single female flower and a number of male flowers. An example of this inflorescence is euphorbia.
c) Verticillaster is an inflorescence in which a cluster of sessile/subsessile flowers are borne on a dichasial cyme ending in a monochasial cyme in the form of condensed whorl on either side of the node.
Hence, the correct answer is option A.

Note: An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on the main axis (peduncle) and by the timing of its flowering (determinate and indeterminate).