250+ TOP MCQs on Flowering Plants Reproduction – Abiotic Agents of Pollination and Answers

Biology Multiple Choice Questions on “Flowering Plants Reproduction – Abiotic Agents of Pollination”.

1. Most common abiotic pollinator is ___
a) water
b) wind
c) soil
d) temperature
Answer: b
Clarification: Plants pollinated by wind produce a large (maybe billions) amount of pollen grains into the air so that they hit the target on other plants. Many crop plants like wheat are wind pollinated.

2. Pollination by ____ is rare.
a) wind
b) animals
c) soil
d) water
Answer: d
Clarification: In plants pollinated by the wind, flowers are small and inconspicuous. The pollen grains are made light weight and unwettable due to the presence of a mucilage covering. The water current acts as a pollen vector.

3. Pollination by wind is limited to about 30 genera of plants.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: Hydrophily occurs in about 30 genera of (majorly) monocots e.g., Vallisneria, Ceratophyllum, Zostera. In several aquatic plants with flowers protruding onto the surface of water, pollination may occur by wind or insects, e.g., Lotus, Water Hyacinth, Water Lily.

4. Pollination by wind is called ____
a) Autogamy
b) Xenogamy
c) Geitonogamy
d) Anemophily
Answer: d
Clarification: Anemophily is pollination by winds. It is a mode of cross pollination or transfer of pollen grains from a mature anther to the stigma of a pistil which is accomplished through the agency of wind, e.g., Coconut Palm, Date Palm, Maize, many grasses, Cannabis.

5. Pollination by water is called ______
a) Cleistogamous
b) Xenogamy
c) Hydrophily
d) Anemophily
Answer: c
Clarification: Hydrophily is pollination by water. It is the mode of pollination or transfer of pollen grains from the mature anther of a flower to the stigma of another flower which is accomplished through the agency of water.

6. Zoster is an example of ______
a) pollination by animals
b) pollination by wind
c) pollination by water
d) pollination by birds
Answer: c
Clarification: Zoster is an example of pollination by water. In Zostera, the marine angiosperm (Sea Grass), the pollen grains are long ribbon-like (upto 2500 μm) and without exine.

7. Which of the following is a dioecious, submerged, fresh water plant?
a) Vallisneria
b) Cannabis
c) Neelakurunji
d) Zoster
Answer: a
Clarification: Vallisneria is a dioecious, submerged, fresh water aquatic plant. The male flowers cut off and come to the surface of water. Mature female flowers rise to the surface by elongation of their stalks.

8. Pollen grains in plants that are transferred via wind are heavy and thorny.
a) False
b) True
Answer: a
Clarification: Wind pollinated plants are small, winged, light and dusty. These pollen grains can be blown off far and wide (a ball park figure of 1000 km). Pollen grains from Pinus are found several hundred kilometers from the parent plant.

9. In ______ pollination takes place on the surface of the water.
a) Hypohydrophily
b) Hydrophylly
c) Epihydrophily
d) Ceratophyllum
Answer: c
Clarification: Hydrophylly is of two types— hypohydrophily and epihydrophily. Hypohydrophily occurs below the surface of water, e.g., Zostera, Ceratophyllum. Epihydrophily takes place over the surface of water, e.g., Vallisneria.

10. ______ underwater plant has male and female parts in the same flower.
a) Zostera
b) Ceratophyllum
c) Vallisneria
d) Maize
Answer: b
Clarification: Ceratophyllum is a fresh water plant (submerged) which bears male and female, both, flowers on the same plant. A male flower has several (30-45) stamens. The mature anthers breaks, and rises upward and dehisce occurs on the surface. The pollen grains are round, with no exine. The pollens come in contact with long and sticky stigmas for pollination.