In the Great Australian Desert, Rainfall Averages About 30 Centimetres

question 14

Multiple Choice

In the Great Australian Desert, rainfall averages about 30 centimetres per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this extremely arid zone to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone". It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant". At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
-Upon closer inspection of the leaves of "flower of stone", one can observe tiny, cone-like structures. Each cone-like structure emits spores of two different sizes. Further investigation also reveals that the roots of "flower of stone" branch only at the growing tip of the root, forming a Y-shaped structure. Based on these additional observations, which of the following can be properly inferred about "flower of stone"?

• A) It is heterosporous and has separate male and female gametophytes.
• B) It is a fern and the cone-like structures are sori.
• C) It is heterosporous, it is a fern, and the cone-like structures are sori.
• D) It is heterosporous, it is a lycophyte, and it has separate male and female gametophytes.

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