Question

An example of a perennial plant exhibiting monocarpic senescence is

• A. Teak
• B. Bamboo
• C. Mulberry
• D. Mango

Hint:

Monocarpic plants do not have to be annuals.
While annual crops (like wheat and rice) are monocarpic, long-lived perennials like certain Bamboo species and Century Plants (Agave americana) are also monocarpic, living for decades before flowering once and dying.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Based on their reproductive strategies, plants are classified as either polycarpic or monocarpic.
Polycarpic plants flower and produce seeds multiple times throughout their lifespan.
Monocarpic plants flower only once in their lifetime, set seed, and then undergo programmed senescence and death.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate the reproductive strategies of the listed perennial plants:
1. Polycarpic Perennials (Teak, Mango, Mulberry): These woody trees live for many decades or centuries.
They flower and fruit annually once they reach reproductive maturity, repeating this cycle throughout their lives without undergoing whole-plant senescence after fruiting.
2. Monocarpic Perennials (Bamboo) (B): Many species of bamboo are long-lived perennial woody grasses that remain in a vegetative state for decades (some up to 30 to 120 years).
At the end of this vegetative phase, all individuals of a particular species in a region undergo synchronized flowering (gregarious flowering).
They produce a massive quantity of seeds, depleting their metabolic resources entirely, which triggers whole-plant senescence and death.
This makes bamboo a classic example of a perennial monocarpic plant.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The perennial plant that exhibits monocarpic senescence is bamboo, corresponding to option (B).