Question

A single pea plant in your kitchen garden produces pods with viable seeds, but the individual papaya plant does not. Explain.

Answer 1

1. A pea plant is a dioecious plant bearing bisexual flowers, i.e., the stamen and pistil are present on the same flower. Thus, the single pea plant can produce viable seeds after self-pollination.
2. Papaya is a monoecious plant bearing unisexual flowers and requires cross-pollination for viable seed production. Thus, a single papaya plant cannot produce viable seeds.