Question

Which of the following is wrongly matched while the remaining three are correct
(a) Penicillium - conidia
(b) Water hyacinth - runner
(c) Bryophyllum - leaf buds
(d) Agave - bulbils

Answer 1

Lateral branch of stem modification in which bears a tuft of balancing roots arising from the base. Ex: Pistia and Eichhornia.

Complete step by step answer:
In some aquatic plants, a lateral branch of one internode length bears a rosette of leaves at each node and a tuft of balancing roots arising from the base of the discoid stem. A lateral branch of one internode length is called offset. Plants that reproduce by this are called offsets.
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia) is an example of offsets.
So, the correct answer is 'Water hyacinth-runner'.

Additional information:
- Several members of fungi reproduce through special asexual reproductive structures called spores. Spores can survive for extended periods of unfavorable conditions. In fungi like penicillium, reproductive spores are produced on specialized sporangiospores known as ‘conidia’
- A leaf modification in which leaf is modified into epiphyllous buds. They arise from the notches of leaves develop adventitious roots and when they detach, it develops into individual plant
Ex.bryophyllum
- In some plants, vegetative buds or floral buds store food material. Those buds develop adventitious roots after they detach from the parent plant and help in vegetative propagation. They are called 'bulbils'
Ex: Dioscorea - develop from a vegetative bud, agave develops from a floral bud.
- In asexual reproduction, the offsprings formed are genetically identical to the parent plant. This is not seen in sexual reproduction.

Note:
- The common name of Eichhornia is water hyacinth.
- Another example of offsets is pistia which is commonly called water lettuce.
- Some of the other leaf modifications are:
Runners ex: Oxalis.
Stolons ex: Nerium and Jasmine
Suckers ex: Chrysanthemum and Pineapple