Flaccidity in plants is associated with

Analyze the question: Flaccidity describes the state of a plant cell or tissue that has lost water, so it is soft and limp. We need the option that is linked to this condition.

Explain the concept:

• Plant cells depend on water pressing outward against the cell wall. This pressure is called turgor pressure.
• A turgid cell is full of water, firm and stretched. This is the opposite of flaccid.
• A flaccid cell has lost water, so the cell contents no longer push against the cell wall. The tissue becomes soft and limp.
• If water loss continues, the cell can undergo plasmolysis, where the membrane pulls away from the wall.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Option A, cessation of photosynthesis: this is not what flaccidity means. It may happen later as a side effect, but it is not the direct association.
2. Option B, wilting: when many cells in a plant become flaccid because of water loss, the leaves and young stems droop. This drooping is wilting, so it is directly associated with flaccidity.
3. Option C, turgidity: this is the opposite of flaccidity, so it is wrong.
4. Option D, discolouration of leaves: this is linked to nutrient deficiency, disease or ageing, not to loss of turgor.

Answer: B (wilting)

Tip: Link the words together:

• Turgid = tight and firm (water in).
• Flaccid = floppy (water out), which leads to wilting.

A Nigerian example is a vegetable plant such as ugu or tomato in the afternoon sun. It droops (wilts) because its cells are flaccid, and it recovers after watering or in the cool of the evening as the cells become turgid again.