Question

Why are neutral flowers present in a plant

Answer 1

In many compound and special inflorescences like spadix and hypanthodium there are sterile female flowers along with male and female fertile flowers and are often present in between male and female flowers, but what is their need in an inflorescence?

As far as I know inflorescences are meant for perpetuation of a plant's race by pollination of female flowers by the male gametes [pollen grains which bears vegetative and reproductive cells].

I know the infertile female flowers of the spadix inflorescence possess some surface area and this area would get some of the pollen grains which are coming in to the inflorescence, and eventually a sum of pollen grains might go in vain.