Question

When both sexes are absent from a flower or are non-functional, the flower is said to be
A. Incomplete
B. Intersexual
C. Neuter
D. Unisexual

Answer 1

The presence or absence of stamen or pistil decides the sex of the flower. The flowers are divided on the basis of the presence or absence of these reproductive structures.

Complete answer:
There are certain flowers that either lack stamens, sepals, petals or carpels; these are known as an incomplete flower. But when the flower lacks functional reproductive structures of stamen and carpel, they are known as neuters.

Additional Information:
The reproductive parts of the flower are:
- Stamens are reproductive structures that produce male gametophyte in plants. The stamen consists of anther and filament.
-The female reproductive structure in plants is the carpal. The carpel has three regions; the stigma is a sticky tape that receives the pollen, style is a slender stock and the ovary is an enlarged structure at the base of the carpal.
-Inside the ovary, female gametophytes are produced in structures known as ovules and ovary may contain more than one ovule. The female gametophytes that are produced inside ovules mature and produce an egg.
- In most angiosperm species, stamens and carpels are produced on the same individual.
Flowers that contain both stamens and carpels are referred to as perfect. Flowers can also be imperfect, however, meaning they contain either stamens or carpels, but not both. Imperfect flowers that contain only stamens can be considered “male” flowers. Similarly, imperfect flowers that contain only carpels can be considered “female” flowers.
So, the correct answer is ‘Neuter’

Note:
-In some cases, separate stamen- or carpel-producing flowers occur on the same individual. Species like these, including the corn plants, are monoecious. In corn, the tassel is a collection of stamen-producing “male” flowers, and the ear contains a group of carpel-producing “female” flowers.
-In contrast, some species with imperfect flowers are dioecious—meaning that each individual plant produces either stamen-bearing flowers only or carpel-bearing flowers only. Cannabis sativa is a dioecious species.