In the freshwater aquatic plant Vallisneria, how does cross-pollination (epihydrophily) occur?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Female flowers reach water surface on long stalks; male pollen floats to meet them

  1. Step 1: Vallisneria is a submerged, dioecious freshwater plant displaying epihydrophily (pollination on the surface of water).
  2. Step 2: Female flowers possess long, spirally coiled stalks that uncoil to elevate the flower to the surface of the water.
  3. Step 3: Male flowers detach from submerged male plants, float to the surface, and are passively carried by water currents until they encounter female flowers in surface depressions.
  4. Step 4: After pollination, the female stalk coils back, pulling the developing fruit underwater.
Answer
Female flowers reach the water surface on long coiled stalks, while released male flowers float on the surface until they contact female stigmas
Why not the others: 'Pollen grains are carried underwater as long ribbons...' describes hypohydrophily in marine seagrasses like Zostera; 'Insects land on floating leaves...' describes aquatic entomophily seen in Eichhornia (water hyacinth) and Nymphaea (water lily); 'Water droplets splash pollen...' is ombrophily, not the specialized pollination mechanism of Vallisneria.

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