Question

Stem tendrils are seen in
(a)Citrus and bougainvillaea
(b)Citrus and Watermelon
(c)Cucumber and pumpkin
(d)Opuntia and Bougainvillaea

Answer 1

Hint: Tendrils don't have lamina or blade but can carry out photosynthesis. All edible plants from this family are literally fruits, deriving from the ovary of a pollinated flower, although we would call them a 'vegetable.’

Complete answer:
In a stem tendril, the terminal bud is modified to be tendrils where the expansion occurs with the assistance of the axillary buds. This helps the plant body to climb.
Citrus and Bougainvillea contain thorns that originate from the axillary bud of a stem that provides protection.
Watermelon, cucumber, and pumpkin have modified axillary buds that form thin, wiry, leafless, and spirally coiled branches and it helps the weak plant to climb the support referred to as stem tendrils.
Phylloclades are the modified stem that is present in Opuntia which helps them in photosynthesis.

Additional Information: -Stolon: a shoot that grows along the bottom and produces roots at its nodes; a runner
-Tuber: a fleshy, thickened, underground stem of a plant, usually containing stored starch, for instance, a potato or arrowroot
-Cladode: green branches of limited growth which have haunted the functions of photosynthesis
-Rhizome: a horizontal underground stem of some plants that send out roots and shoots from its nodes
-Corm: a brief, vertical, swollen underground stem of a plant that is a storage organ to enable the plant to survive winter or other adverse conditions like drought
-Bulb: the bulb-shaped root portion of a plant like a tulip, from which the remainder of the plant could also be regrown
-Tendril: a thin, spirally-coiled stem which gets attached to a plant to its support
-Thorn: a sharp, protective spine of a plant
-Bulbil: a bulb-shaped bud in the place of a flower or a leaf axil.
So, the correct answer is, “Cucumber and Pumpkin”.

Note: Aerial Stem Modification:
-Tendrils are slender, twining strands that enable a plant (like the buckwheat vine) to seek support by climbing on other surfaces. These can develop from either of the axillary bud or the terminal bud of the stem.
-Thorns are modified branches appearing as hard, woody, sharp outgrowths that protect the plant; common examples include roses, bow wood, and devil’s walking stick.
-Bulbils are axillary buds that have become fleshy and rounded due to the storage of food. They become detached from the plant, fall on the ground, and develop into a new plant.
-Cladodes are green branches of limited growth (usually one internode long) that can perform photosynthesis.