An experiment was performed to investigate pollination activity in flowers from an unknown plant. Exactly 10 flowers with petals and 10 flowers without petals were used from this plant. The flowers are about 3 cm wide; with 5 rounded pink petals in clusters. After two days the flowers were prevented from further pollination. After seven days the extent of pollination and fertilization was recorded.
The diagrams below show the appearance of flowers with and without petals
The table below shows the number of pollen, pollen tubes and fertilized ovules collected after seven days. a. Is the unknown plant monocot or dicot? Give reasons for your answer.
Answers
Bees are perhaps the most important pollinator of many garden plants and most commercial fruit trees (Figure 1). The most common species of bees are bumblebees and honeybees. Since bees cannot see the color red, bee-pollinated flowers usually have shades of blue, yellow, or other colors. Bees collect energy-rich pollen or nectar for their survival and energy needs. They visit flowers that are open during the day, are brightly colored, have a strong aroma or scent, and have a tubular shape, typically with the presence of a nectar guide. A nectar guide includes regions on the flower petals that are visible only to bees, and not to humans; it helps to guide bees to the center of the flower, thus making the pollination process more efficient. The pollen sticks to the bees’ fuzzy hair, and when the bee visits another flower, some of the pollen is transferred to the second flower. Recently, there have been many reports about the declining population of honeybees. Many flowers will remain unpollinated and not bear seed if honeybees disappear. The impact on commercial fruit growers could be devastating.