In north- central Florida, the cars, homes, streets, and ponds are covered with an impressive coating of bright yellow dust every spring. Upon closer, microscopic examination, the yellow "dust" turns out to be pollen grains. This area of Florida has pine trees, showy daytime- flowering plants, and often- unnoticed nighttime- flowering plants, with sweet- scented flowers, releasing pollen at the same time of year. Based on this information, which group of plants do you think is responsible for the yellow pollen? Why?

A) The daytime- flowering plants are responsible. Because they spend energy producing showy flowers that attract animal pollinators, daytime- flowering plants need to produce lots of pollen for the animals to eat.
B) The nighttime- flowering plants are responsible. Because they spend energy producing sweet- scented flowers that attract bat and moth pollinators, nighttime- flowering plants need to produce lots of pollen for the bats and moths to eat.
C) The pines are responsible, because conifers are pollinated by wind and must produce enormous amounts of pollen in order to ensure that some of it reaches the female cones.