Question

Rose plants produce large, attractive bisexual flowers but they seldom produce fruits. On the other hand a tomato plant produces plenty of fruits though they have small flowers. Analyse the reasons for failure of fruit formation in rose.

Both these plants - rose and tomato - both selected by human beings for different characteristics, the rose for its flower and tomato for its fruit. Roses, being vegetatively propagated do not need to produce seeds.

Answer 1

Failure of fruit formation in rose may be due to several reasons. Some of the likely reasons are:

1. Rose plants may not produce viable pollen.
2. Rose plants may not have functional egg.
3. Rose plants may have abortive ovules.
4. Being hybrids, the meiotic process may be abnormal resulting in non-viable gametes.
5. There may be self-incompatibility.
6. There may be internal barriers for pollen tube growth and/or fertilisation.