Question

Discuss any three contrivances for prevention of self-pollination in flowering plants.

Answer 1

The three mechanisms that flowering plants use to avoid self-pollination are:

• Dichogamy: The anther (male part) and stigma (female part) of a flower mature at different times, which prevents self-pollination.
  Example: Sunflower
• Self-incompatibility: It is a genetic mechanism in which pollen from the same plant or similar plants is not accepted, preventing fertilisation.
  Example: Brassica
• Herkogamy: The structure of the flower keeps the anther and stigma separate, making self-pollination difficult.
  Example: Gloriosa