Question

The most interesting example of anemochory shown by coastal plants where ripe fruits and seeds are rolled like a ball miles away by incurved branches is?
A. Cocos
B. Salsola kali
C. Areca catechu
D. Nipa fruiticans

Answer 1

Anemochory is a type of seed dispersal method by the air or the wind. Seed dispersal can be done by many agents like water, wind, depending on the species and its adaptation. Wind and water type dispersal methods usually occur at coastal and beachy places.

Complete answer:

Option A:
Cocos are the coastal plant and its fruit have fibrous mesocarp and hard endocarp. Hence fibrous fruits are generally dispersed by the water surface called Hydrochory.

Option B:
Salsola kali is not a coastal plant. It grows generally in the disturbed lands such as on roadsides, destructive and abandoned land. So, when the fruits have ripened, the plant dies by drying out. And the stem breaks off in strong winds and the plants get rolls and disperses the seeds. Therefore, the seed dispersal has gone through the medium of wind that is called anemochory.

Option C:
Areca catechu is a coastal plant having fruits with fibrous mesocarp and hard endocarp. such fibrous fruits are mainly dispersed by floating over large distances and float over mainly by water that is called hydrochory.

Option D:
Nipofruiticans is also a coastal plant having similar property of fibrous fruits and is also dispersed by hydrochory that is by water.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: Always keep in mind that coastal region plants like cocos coconut are well adapted to increase its range by ocean dispersal. As a plant near coastal regions they have a tendency to drift out the ocean currents due to hard endocarps and get shifted to tropical beaches where they can germinate.