HORTICULTURE

Detailed explanation-1: -Phloem is a complex tissue which is concerned with the transport of food materials from leaves to other plant parts. Phloem is composed of sieve tube elements, companion cells, phloem parenchyma and phloem fibres. sieve tubes are longitudinally arranged cells. It is seen associated with the companion cells.

Detailed explanation-2: -Companion cells are large elongated cells of phloem with large nucleus. It is attached to the lateral side of sieve tubes. These cells help in transport of food along with sieve. These are specifically found only in angiosperms.

Detailed explanation-3: -…angiosperms are sieve tubes and companion cells found in the phloem (see angiosperm: Vascular tissue). In other vascular plants, parenchyma cells function in the same way as companion cells (that is, as the sieve cell’s living protoplasm), but they are not derived from the same mother cell as the sieve…

Detailed explanation-4: -Both the companion cells and the sieve tube cells are derived from the same mother cell. Now, both these cells are connected by channel-forming cells called plasmodesmata. The plasmodesmata form porous channels between the two cells by traversing the thin cell walls of both sieve tube element cells and companion cells.

Detailed explanation-5: -Gymnosperms and lower plants such as Pteridophytes, mosses and ferns lack sieve tubes and companion cells. Therefore, the correct answer is option b-angiosperms.