Question

Male gametophyte with least number of cells is present in
(A) Pteris
(B) Funaria
(C) Lilium
(D) Pinus

Answer 1

It belongs to the genre of herbaceous flowering plants that grow from bulbs. The functions of the male gametophytes are the production of the sperm cells and the female cells, and their union in fertilization. The pollen grain works like the male gametophyte and the embryo sac works like the female gametophyte in flowering plants. Within the anther, the male gametophyte completes its prior development.

Complete answer:
1.In lower groups of plants, spores may be homosporous or heterosporous
2.Each spore on germination produces a gametophytic plant body which is commonly known as prothallus or prothallium.
3.The prothallus produces male and female sex organs.
4.Antheridia is the male sex organ and archegonia are the female sex organ.
5.The number of cells in male gametophytes shows the reduction pattern from bryophytes to angiosperms. In an angiosperm, it is reduced to about 2-3 and called pollen grains.
6.Most of the reduced male gametophytes are present in angiosperm.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C)

Note: The first angiosperms have evolved from one of the gymnosperm species that dominated the world at the time. The first angiosperms probably appeared when the ancestral gymnosperm underwent a 'whole genome doubling' event about 200 million years ago.