7. What are chasmogamous flowers? Can cross-pollination occur in cleistogamous flowers? Give reasons for your answer.
Flowers can be of two types i.e. chasmogamous flowers or cleistogamous flowers. Chasmogamous flowers are open flowers which have their anthers and stigma exposed. These flowers facilitate cross-pollination. On the other hand, cleistogamous flowers are closed flowers whose anthers and stigmas are not exposed. Since these flowers do not open at all, only self-pollination occurs in these and cross-pollination is never seen. Thus. cross-pollination cannot occur in cleistogamous flowers.