Question

The sulphur shower is related to
A. Cycas
B. Pinus
C. Rhizobium
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Conifer plants with yellow pollen that can be carried by the wind.

Complete answer:
The sulphur shower is a phenomenon in Pines related to their pollination. Sulphur shower involves the release of yellow pollen into the air by mature Pines. They do not refer to the presence of sulphur and are given the name due to the colour of yellow pollen resembling sulphur in appearance. Pollens of pines on maturation release a large number of pollen grains into the air that appears as a yellow cloud. These released pollen are then carried by wind to the same or another pine tree (female cone) for pollination to carry out reproduction.

Additional Information:
- Yellow pollen is often carried from pine forest by the wind to a great distance.
- Pines belong to the group Gymnosperms and bear cone-shaped naked-seeds.
- The sulphur shower occurs during the spring season in Eastern Himalayas.
- During the sulphur shower, a huge amount of pollen is released by the pines in the forest atmosphere that saturates the air and there is a yellow deposit on the floor of the forest. - Thus, wasting most of the pollen and only a small amount reaches the female cones.
- Conifers are the plants that bear cones like Pines. Pines have two types of cones: seed cones (female) and pollen cones (male) present on the same plant. Thus, the pollen carried by the wind can get deposited either on the seeds of the same plant or carried to the female cone (seed) of another plant.

Note: The Sulphur shower of Pinus (Pines) represents “Winged Seeds” as the released pollen is carried by air to female cones.