Why are cleistogamous flowers (such as those produced by Viola, Oxalis, and Commelina) assured of 100 percent seed set even in the total absence of animal pollinators?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Remain permanently closed to ensure autonomous self-pollination without pollinators
- Step 1: Viola (common pansy), Oxalis, and Commelina produce two types of flowers: chasmogamous (open flowers with exposed anthers and stigmas) and cleistogamous (closed flowers).
- Step 2: Cleistogamous flowers never open at anthesis; they remain permanently closed floral buds.
- Step 3: When anthers dehisce inside the closed bud, pollen grains fall directly onto the stigma of the same flower, guaranteeing autogamous self-pollination and seed set without depending on pollinators or wind.
Answer
The flowers remain permanently closed, forcing anthers to dehisce directly onto the receptive stigma within the enclosed bud
Why not the others: 'They undergo apomictic seed formation...' is false because cleistogamy is genuine sexual self-fertilization, not asexual apomixis; 'They attract subterranean ants...' is false since no pollinators can enter closed buds; 'They release pollen into soil water...' is a biologically inaccurate distractor.
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