A dicotyledonous plant bears flowers but never produces fruits and seeds. The most probable cause for the above situation is:
a. The plant is dioecious and bears only pistillate flowers
b. The plant is dioecious and bears both pistillate and staminate flowers
c. The plant is monoecious
d. The plant is dioecious and bears only staminate flowers.
The answer is option (d) Plant is dioecious and bears only staminate flowers.
Option (a) is incorrect since a pistillate flower can be pollinated from pollen grains from another flower. A dioecious flower can show self or cross-pollination and hence can be transformed into fruit. So, option (d) is the correct answer. (b) This situation isn't possible for a truly dioecious plant. Dioecious plants are characterized by having separate male and female plants, so a single dioecious plant cannot bear both pistillate and staminate flowers. (c) Monoecious plants have both male and female flowers on the same plant. This allows for self-pollination or pollination between flowers on the same plant, leading to fruit and seed production. Therefore, this option wouldn't explain a lack of fruits and seeds.