Q.Autogamy can occur in a chasmogamous flower if:
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Autogamy in a chasmogamous flower requires that both pollen and ovules mature at the same time, so the correct option is (C).
To understand why, we need to first recall what autogamy means. Autogamy is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same flower — in other words, self-pollination within a single flower. For this to happen naturally, the flower must be chasmogamous, meaning it opens up and exposes its reproductive parts (as opposed to cleistogamous flowers, which remain closed and force self-pollination).
Now, a chasmogamous flower is open, so it can potentially receive pollen from other flowers too. For autogamy to occur reliably in such a flower, certain conditions must be met. The most important is that the anther and stigma must be positioned close enough for pollen to land on the stigma of the same flower. But even if they are close, timing is everything.
If the pollen matures before the ovules are ready (option A), the stigma may not be receptive when the pollen is shed. The pollen would then be wasted or carried away by wind or insects. Similarly, if the ovules mature first (option B), the stigma becomes receptive but no pollen from the same flower is available yet — by the time pollen is released, the stigma might have already received pollen from another flower or lost its receptivity.
In some plants, a condition called protandry (pollen matures first) or protogyny (ovules mature first) actually prevents autogamy and encourages cross-pollination. So these are mechanisms that promote outbreeding, not selfing. …
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