NEETBotanySexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
How do flowers ensure they are visited frequently by animals?
Options
- ABy providing no rewards
- BBy having no distinct features
- CBy offering rewards such as nectar and pollen
- DBy being inconspicuous and small
Correct answer
C. By offering rewards such as nectar and pollen
Step-by-step solution
Majority of insect-pollinated flowers are large, colourful, fragrant and rich in nectar. When the flowers are small, a number of flowers are clustered into an inflorescence to make them conspicuous. Animals are attracted to flowers by colour and/or fragrance. The flowers pollinated by flies and beetles secrete foul odours to attract these animals. To sustain animal visits, the flowers have to provide rewards to the animals. Nectar and pollen grains are the usual floral rewards. For harvesting the reward(s) from the