Biology · Science General

Botany and Plant Science

5,038 Questions

Botany and plant science delve into the biological study of plant life, covering structural anatomy, physiological processes, and reproductive mechanisms. Key topics include inflorescence patterns, root modifications, and seed development, which are vital for biology sections in medical entrance exams. This collection of practice questions helps solidify understanding of complex plant functions.

Plant ReproductionPlant AnatomyRoot ModificationsInflorescence PatternsPlant Morphology

Botany and Plant Science Questions

Multiple choice evs life in water aquatic plant adaptations pollination through water aquatic adaptation extreme adaptations

Reduction in vascular tissue, mechanical tissue and cuticle is characteristic of :

  1. Hydrophytes

  2. Xerophytes

  3. Mesophytes

  4. Epiphytes

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Hydrophytes (water-dwelling plants) show reduction in vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) because water provides direct support and nutrient availability, reducing need for extensive transport. Mechanical tissue is reduced since water buoyancy provides support. Cuticle is thin or absent because water loss is not a concern - in fact, these plants need to absorb water directly through surfaces. These are key adaptations to aquatic environment.

Multiple choice evs life in water aquatic plant adaptations pollination through water aquatic adaptation extreme adaptations

Root cap is absent in 

  1. Mesophytes

  2. Hydrophyte

  3. Epiphytes

  4. Xerophytes

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Root cap is present at the tip of the root and it contains meristematic cells which divide and increase the length of the root.
Mesophytes are terrestrial plants. Therefore, root cap is essential in mesophytic plants.
Epiphytes are plant which grows upon another plant or any object. They require physical support for the growth. Such plants also possess roots which anchor the plant to another plant or object.
Xerophytes are terrestrial plants which have adapted to survive in an environment with little water. Hence, roots are necessary for xerophytes. 
Hydrophytes grow in water. Hydrophytes have plenty of water hence, the root system takes secondary importance. Therefore, root cap is absent in hydrophytes. 
Therefore, the correct answer is 'Hydrophyte'.

Multiple choice evs life in water aquatic plant adaptations pollination through water aquatic adaptation extreme adaptations

Petioles are inflated in floating hydrophytes 

  1. Wolffia

  2. Eichhornia

  3. Salvinia

  4. Ceratophyllum

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem. Water hyacinth leaves in natural populations vary from being long and thin‐petioled to being short with inflated petioles. water hyacinth is a floating hydrophyte that has an inflated petiole which helps in keeping it on top of the water level thus allowing it not to sink. So the correct answer is ' Eichhornia or water hyacinth. '

Multiple choice evs life in water aquatic plant adaptations pollination through water aquatic adaptation extreme adaptations

A rooted floating leaved hydrophyte is

  1. Nymphaea

  2. Hydrilla

  3. Ceratophyllum

  4. Eichhornia

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Rooted Hydrophytes with Floating Leaves:
The roots of these type of hydrophytes are fixed in mud, but leaves have long
petioles which keep them floating on the water surface. Except leaves, the restof the plant body remains in water. Some examples are Nelumbo nucifera,
Nymphaea stellate (water lily), Trapa, Marsilea. 
So the correct answer is 'Nymphaea'. 
Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

On the basis of flowers and inflorescence the most advanced family in angiosperms is

  1. Ranunculaceae

  2. Asteraceae

  3. Graminae

  4. Magnoliaceae

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

On the basis of fowers and inflorescence the most advanced family in angiosperms is Asteraceae. Asteraceae are mostly herbaceous plants, but some shrubs, trees and climbers do exist. Asteraceae are generally easy to distinguish from other plants, mainly because of their characteristic inflorescence and other shared characteristics. The Asteraceae commonly referred to as or sunflower family are an exceedingly large and widespread family of Angiospermae. The name Asteraceae comes from Aster, the most prominent genus in the family, that means star, and is connected with its inflorescence star form. As for the term Compositae, more ancient but still valid, it obviously makes reference to the fact that the family is one of the few angiosperm ones to have composite flowers. This family has a remarkable ecological and economical importance. The Asteraceae may represent as much as 10% of autochthonous flora in many regions of the world. Most members of Asteraceae are herbaceous,but a significant number are also shrubs, vines, or trees. The family has a  worldwide distribution and is most common in the arid and semiarid regions of subtropical and lower temperate latitudes. The Asteraceae are an economically important family.

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

A family which was named after its inflorescence is

  1. Poaceae (graminae)

  2. Malvaceae

  3. Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

  4. Moraceae

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A family which was named after its inflorescence is Apiaceae (umbelliferae). The defining characteristic of this family is the inflorescence: a simple or compound umbel. Flowers across the Apiaceae are fairly uniform and are usually perfect hermaphroditic and actinomorphic, but some are andromonoecious, polygamomonoecious, or even dioecious, with a distinct calyx and corolla, but the calyx if often highly reduced, to the point of being undetectable in many species, while the corolla can be white, yellow, pink or purple. The flowers are nearly perfectly entamerous, with 5 petals, sepals, and stamens. The androecium contains of 5 stamens, but there is often variation in the functionality of the stamens even within a single inflorescence. Some flowers are functionally staminate while others are functionally pistillate.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

Anthodium inflorescence is characteristic of

  1. Sun flower

  2. Sage flower

  3. Horse-shoe flower

  4. Ficus

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Anthodium inflorescence is characteristic of sunflower. Sunflower belongs to Asteraceae.The genus is one of many in the Asteraceae that are known as sunflowers. It is distinguished technically by the fact that the ray flowers, when present, are sterile, and by the presence on the disk flowers of a pappus that is of two awn-like scales that are cauducous. They bear one or
several to many wide, terminal capitula (flower heads), with bright yellow ray florets at the outside and yellow or maroon disc florets inside. Several
ornamental cultivars have red-colored ray florets. Indeterminate simple inflorescences are generally called as racemose anthodium inflorescence. The main kind of racemose inflorescence is the raceme  and the other kind of racemose inflorescences can all be derived from this one by dilation, compression, swelling or reduction of the different axes.

Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

The peduncle is compressed to a flattened or convex disc, the receptacle and the flowers (florets) are sessile this represents ....... inflorescence

  1. Spadix

  2. Umbel

  3. Capitulum

  4. Hypanthodium

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The peduncle is compressed to a flattened or convex disc, the receptacle and the flowers (florets) are sessile this represents capitulum inflorescence. A flower head or capitulum is a very contracted raceme in which the single sessile flowers share are borne on an enlarged stem. Capitulum can be used as an exact synonym for pseudanthium and flower head, however its use is generally but not always restricted to the Asteraceae family. At least one source defines it as a small flower head. Flower head is a special type of inflorescence  in which anything from a small cluster to hundreds or sometimes thousands of flowers are grouped together to form a single flower-like structure. Pseudanthia take various forms. The individual flowers of a pseudanthium commonly are called as florets.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

Dichasial cyme is characteristically found in

  1. Gossypium

  2. Calotropis

  3. Alocasia

  4. Dianthus

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Determinate simple inflorescences are generally called as cymose. The main kind of cymose inflorescence is the cyme. The cyme is refered as dichasial when there are two secondary axis. If in an inflorescence two lateral branches develop on either side of the terminal lower which again branch is known as dichasial cyme. Dianthus  species are mostly herbaceous perennials  and some are low subshrubs with oody basal stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, mostly linear and often strongly glaucous grey-green to blue-green. The flowers have five petals, with dichasial cyme.

Therefore, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

Perianth of Gramineae is termed

  1. Tepal

  2. Ligule

  3. Lodicule

  4. Spur

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Flowers of Poaceae are characteristically arranged in spikelets, each spikelet having one or more florets. The spikelets are further grouped into panicles or spikes. A spikelet consists of two or sometimes fewer bracts at the base, called as glumes, followed by one or more florets. A floret consists of the flower surrounded by two bracts, one external the lemma and one internal the palea. The flowers are usually hermaphroditic maize being an important exception and anemophilous or wind-pollinated. The perianth is reduced to two scales, called as lodicules, that expand and contract to spread the lemma and palea. These are generally interpreted to be modified sepals. The lodicules are the two diminutive bodies lying between the lemma and the ovary base in the grass floret which, by expanding rapidly at the time of anthesis, lever away the rigid lemma allowing anthers and stigmas to emerge. Expansion results from the swelling of a cushion of tissue at the base of each lodicule. Perianth of Gramineae are not termed as tepal, ligule and spur. 
Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

Depending upon the mode of branching of peduncle, the inflorescences are of ...... main types.

  1. One

  2. Two

  3. Three

  4. Four

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Depending upon the mode of branching of peduncle, the inflorescences are of two main types - Recaulescent and Concaulescent.
When the bract is attached to the stem holding the flower (the pedicel or
peduncle), it is said to be recaulescent; sometimes these bracts or bracteolesare highly modified and appear to be appendages of the flower calyx. 
Recaulescences is the fusion of the subtending leaf with the stem holding the bud or the bud itself, thus the leaf or bract is adnate to the stem of flower. When the formation of the bud is shifted up the stem distinctly above the subtending leaf, it is described as concaulescent.

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

Unisexual flowers are found in inflorescence of

  1. Ficus

  2. Poinsettia

  3. Morus

  4. All of the above

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Unisexual flowers are present in Morus, Ficus and PoinsettiaA unisexual flower is one that has stamens but no pistils or having pistils but no stamens. A flower having only stamens is said to be staminate, or male. A flower having only pistils is said to be pistillate, or female. In many unisexual flowers, the nonfunctioning organs of the other sex are present in reduced form, thus attesting to the plants original bisexual nature. Such flowers are said to be functionally male or functionally female.

Therefore, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

The axis of inflorescence is known as __________.

  1. Petiole

  2. Pedicle

  3. Peduncle

  4. Pinna

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

  • The stalk holding the complete inflorescence and bearing the flowers or fruit, in a flowering plant is known as the peduncle. 
  • The pedicle is the stem that attaches a single flower. 
  • The petiole is the stalk that attaches a leaf to the stem and the leaflet of a pinnately compound leaf is called pinna. 
So, the correct option is 'Peduncle'.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

An inflorescence __________ the chances of pollination.

  1. Improves

  2. Reduces

  3. Alternates

  4. Condenses

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The arrangement of flowers is known as the inflorescence. It is useful for the plant as it increases the chances of attracting insect pollinators such as bees that help in pollination. The flower morphology, size, colour, nectar and odour act as signals for attracting these pollinators. 

So, the correct option is 'improves'.

Multiple choice botany inflorescence introduction to inflorescence inflorescence and its type basics of leaf and flower

The fruit formed from the fusion of inflorescence is called as 

  1. Simple fruit

  2. Aggregate fruit

  3. Pseudo fruit

  4. Composite fruit

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Multiple fruits also called as collective fruits, are fruits that are formed from a cluster of flowers called inflorescence. Each flower in the inflorescence produces a fruit, but these mature into a single mass. An multiple fruit is a fruit that develops from the merger of several ovaries that were separate in a single flower. Not all flowers with multiple ovaries form aggregate fruit; the ovaries of some flowers do not become tightly joined together to make a larger fruit.