Question

A student observes grass and Hibiscus plants in his garden during noon. To his surprise, only the leaves of grass were found rolled inwards. The reason could be

• A. Presence of Bulliform cells in the grass leaves.
• B. Due to higher rate of transpiration
• C. Presence of more number of stomata on the grass leaves
• D. Undifferentiated mesophyll in grass leaves.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

The grass is a monocotyledonous plant whereas Hibiscus is a dicotyledonous plant. Presence of bulliform cells is a characteristic feature of monocot leaves. Bulliform cells are epidermal cells present in the epidermis of monocot leaves. When the bulliform cells in the leaves absorb water and become turgid, the leaf surface gets exposed. When they are flaccid due to water stress, they make the leaves curl inwards to minimize water loss. Thus, the leaves of grass fold due to the presence of bulliform cells.