Question

Water is not required in the fertilization of
A) Dryopteris
B) Selaginella
C) Vallisneria
D) Pisum/Maize

Answer 1

Hint: It is the bisexual plant which means they are having male and female flowers on the same plant. They are pollinated by self-pollination and cross pollination. So, water is not required for fertilization.

Complete Answer:
1) Dryopteris and Selaginella come under the category of bryophytes. Bryophytes are the small and non-vascular plants that play an important role in regulating the ecosystem.
Water is required for the fertilization in the bryophytes that is Dryopteris and Selaginella.
- This is because the gametes of bryophytes release in water and that is why fusion occurs inside the water and thus, forming a diploid zygote which then develops into a sporophyte.

2) Vallisneria comes under the category of hydrophytes. As the name suggested that this category is related to water. So, hydrophytes are plants that grow in water.
- Vallisneria in which a male flower that detaches on maturity and is ready to float on the surface of water. While female flowers grow under the water and with the help of long stalks they come on the surface of water.
- As soon as stalks grow flowers become vertical to horizontal and due to this cup-like depression formed and then, male flowers which are floating on the surface fall in the cup-like depression. Thus, pollination takes place.

3) Pisum and maize does not require water for the fertilization. Pisum is a bisexual plant which are having male and female flower on the same plant. Thus, self-pollination takes place and in Maize, cross pollination takes. In this, pollens are transferred from anther to stigma by the help of wind. So, it does not require water in fertilization.

Thus, the correct answer is option D i.e., Pisum/Maize.

Note: Examples of bryophytes are Dryopteris and selaginella that are small plants in which water is required to grow till maturity. Vallisneria are the hydrophytes that grow only in water like lotus, lily etc. In Pisum, self-pollination takes place and in maize cross-pollination takes place by the help of wind.