The correct answer is Pea plant. Explanation & Key Takeaways: • Mendel’s seminal work was accomplished using the garden pea, Pisum sativum, to study inheritance. • This species naturally self-fertilizes, meaning that pollen encounters ova within the same flower. • The flower petals remain sealed tightly until pollination is completed to prevent the pollination of other plants. The result is highly inbred, or “true-breeding,” pea plants. • These are plants that always produce offspring that look like the parent. • By experimenting with true-breeding pea plants, Mendel avoided the appearance of unexpected traits in offspring that might occur if the plants were not true-breeding. • The garden pea also grows to maturity within one season, meaning that several generations could be evaluated over a relatively short time. • Finally, large quantities of garden peas could be cultivated simultaneously, allowing Mendel to conclude that his results did not come about simply by chance.