question_answer 17)

Examine a few flowers of any cucurbit plant and try to identify the staminate and pistillate flowers. Do you know any other plant that bears unisexual flowers?

Answer:

Study a flowering plant of family Cucurbitaceae (Gourd family) like Luffa aegyptiaca (Ghia tori). It is observed that male flowers are present at the summit peduncles and female flowers are solitary. Both male and female flowers are borne on the same plant (monoecious). Male flowers bear five stamens. In these flowers gynoecium is absent. Female flowers bear three fused carpels, inferior ovary, unilocular and parietal placentation. In such flowers androecium is absent.   Luffa aegyptiaca (Ghia tori) A.  V.S. Female flower, B. V.S. Male flower.