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

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

1. Pollination through animals is ________
a) zoophily
b) pollination
c) hydrophily
d) epihydrophily
Answer: b
Clarification: Zoophily is defined as pollination via animals. Insects are the most important animal pollinators. Birds, snails, bats, etc. also play an important role. Some lizards, lemurs, etc. also have proven to be important for pollination.

2. _______ is one of the most common families that are pollinated by animals.
a) Fabaceae
b) Euphorbiaceae
c) Asteraceae
d) Begoniaceae
Answer: c
Clarification: Zoophilous flowers are often adapted to be pollinated by particular type of animals. Bees and butterflies pollinate the maximum number of flowering plants. The two common families pollinated by them are Asteraceae and Lamiaceae.

3. Pollination by insects is called _____
a) Zoophily
b) Anemophily
c) Epihydrophily
d) Entomophily
Answer: d
Clarification: Entomophily is a common type of zoophily wherein the pollen grains of mature anthers of a flower are transferred to a mature stigma of another flower through insects like beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, bees, etc.

4. Which of the following has attractive bracts?
a) Hibiscus
b) Bougainvillea
c) Mimosa
d) Rafflesia
Answer: b
Clarification: Other parts of the flower become showy when petals aren’t attractive. Bougainvillea is known for its showy bracts, leaves in Euphoria pulcherrima, stamens in mimosa, spathes in aroids, etc.

5. Which flower has a flytrap mechanism?
a) Viola
b) Rafflesia
c) Mimosa
d) Hydrilla
Answer: b
Clarification: Flowers attract insects in different ways. One way is by producing a smell. Pleasant odors and fragrances attract bees and butterflies. Foul smells attract flies and beetles. Rafflesia produces a foul smell which attracts flies. This is also known as the fly trap mechanism.

6. _______ produces edible pollens.
a) Rosa
b) Hibiscus
c) Viola
d) Rafflesia
Answer: a
Clarification: Edible pollens are produced by Rosa, Clematis, Magnolia, etc. Studies show that pollen grains are highly nutritive. They have even claimed to cure many health issues.

7. ______ provides safe place for insects to lay eggs.
a) Stigma
b) Nucellus
c) Amorphophallus
d) Style
Answer: c
Clarification: Some flowers provide safe place to insects for laying eggs, e.g., Yucca, Amorphophallus. Amorphophallus contains 200 species. The tallest flower belongs to Amorphophallus (six feet tall).

8. To sustain, flowers have to give rewards to insects.
a) False
b) True
Answer: b
Clarification: Nectar, pollen grains, shelter and edible floral parts and young seeds are the usual floral rewards for pollinators and juicy and nutritious fruits for seed dispersers so that insects/animals regularly visit them to feed or take shelter.

9. Pollination by birds is ____
a) Zoophily
b) Entamophily
c) Hypohydrophily
d) Ornithophily
Answer: d
Clarification: It is the mode of allogamy performed by birds. Only a few types of birds are specialised for this. They usually have small size and long beaks. Two common types of tropical pollinating birds are sun birds (Afro-Asia) and humming birds (America). Humming birds perform pollination while hovering over the flowers.

10. _____ provides nursery for moths.
a) Yucca
b) Oxalis
c) Hibiscus
d) Viola
Answer: a
Clarification: A similar relationship exists between a species of moth and the plant Yucca where both species–moth and the plant–cannot complete their life cycles without each other. The moth deposits its eggs in the locule of the ovary and the flower, in turn, gets pollinated by the moth. The larvae of the moth come out of the eggs as the seeds start developing.

11. Pollination by bats is ______
a) Ornithophily
b) Zoophily
c) Chiropterophily
d) Anmeophily
Answer: c
Clarification: It is cross pollination performed by bats. Bats are nocturnal flying mammals which can transport pollen over long distance, sometimes over 30 km. Chiropterophilous flowers are dull-coloured with strong fermenting or fruity odour, abundant nectar and pollen grains.

12. Pollination by snails is _____
a) Zoophily
b) Anemophily
c) Chiropterophily
d) Malacophily
Answer: d
Clarification: Malacophily is the pollination of plants by snails. Snails perform pollination in Arisaema (Snake or Cobra Plant) and some arum lilies.