Dioecious plants are characterized by which condition?

• A. Flowers on the same plant
• B. Male and female flowers on separate plants
• C. Plants that never flower
• D. Flowers with only petals

Answer: (D)

Dioecy means sexes are on separate plants. In these species, individual plants produce only male flowers or only female flowers, so pollen-producing plants are distinct from ovule-producing plants. Pollination occurs between plants of different individuals. This differs from plants that have both sexes on the same plant (monoecious) or flowers that contain both male and female reproductive parts in a single blossom (hermaphroditic). A description about flowers having only petals doesn’t address how the plant distributes male and female reproductive capability, so the statement that best fits dioecy is that male and female flowers occur on separate plants.