Question

The inflorescence found in the coconut plant is
a) Spadix
b) Compound spadix
c) Compound spike
d)Compound corymb

Answer 1

Hint An inflorescence is a group of the flowers present on the stem of the plant which is arranged in a particular order. It can also be said to be a modified part of the stem where flowers of the plant are formed.

Complete answer:
In coconut plant inflorescence is enclosed within the double sheath and this whole structure is named as a spadix. It is born singly on the axis of the leaf of the plant. This type of inflorescence in the plant carries both male and female flowers and is monoecious in nature. The male flower is abundant as compared to the female flowers. The male flowers are born on the top portion of the spikelets and the female flowers are present on the base of the spikelet. The inflorescence can be seen after the leaf primordium arises and differentiates to give rise to the male and female flowers. The male flower is the first one to open up and then it sheds its pollen grains then female flowers are receptive for only two to three days which depends on the environmental conditions the flower is present in. The phase in which the male and female flowers open is known as a spathe. In an inflorescence, there are only ten to twelve female flowers present and only some of them are able to germinate. The remaining flowers develop into the fruits which take about a year to mature.

So, the answer is ‘spadix’.

Note: In the inflorescence of the coconut plant the male flowers are more in number than the female flowers and are located at the top of the spikelet. In them, the male and female flowers phase is regulated by the environmental conditions, and when the conditions are not the same for both the flowers then the chance of self-pollination is very low.