Biology

Plant Biology and Classification

1,796 Questions

Plant Biology and Classification deals with the taxonomy, evolution, and morphological features of the plant kingdom. This collection offers practice questions on plant groups, taxonomic hierarchies, and specific plant characteristics. The questions are tailored for students preparing for biology competitive exams.

Plant taxonomyPteridophytesAngiospermsPlant morphologyAlgae and bryophytesClassification systems

Plant Biology and Classification Questions

Multiple choice classification of pteridophytes kingdom plantae plant kingdom biology

The name 'male-shield fern' is applied to

  1. Asplenium

  2. Dryopteris

  3. Vittaria

  4. Adiantum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Dryopteris Filix-mas (Linn.) is commonly known as male-shield fern, because they have a shield-shaped protective covering for their spore containing structures. 

Multiple choice classification of pteridophytes kingdom plantae plant kingdom biology

Which of following is a heterosporous pteridophyte?

  1. Lycopodium

  2. Selaginella

  3. Pteridium

  4. Dryopteris
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Heterospory is a phenomenon in which two kinds of spores are borne by the same plant. These spores differ in size. The smaller one is known as microspore and the larger one is known as megaspore. The microspore germinates to form the male gametophyte and the megaspore germinates to form the female gametophyte. Heterospory evolved first in pteridophytes such as Selaginella and Salvinia. Hence option B is correct.

Multiple choice classification of pteridophytes kingdom plantae plant kingdom biology

'Resurrection or cespitose' are the terms used for those species of pteridophytes which

  1. Are monecious

  2. Roll up during drought

  3. Epiphytic

  4. Hygrophytic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Under dry conditions, the xerophytic species of Selaginella roll into brown balls but remain uprooted. This phenomenon is called as a cespitose habit. But during moist conditions, the brown balls become green and unroll again. Therefore, these plants are called as resurrection plants. e.g. Selaginella lepidophylla and Selaginella bryopteris.

Multiple choice classification of pteridophytes kingdom plantae plant kingdom biology

Cone bearing Pteridophyta are

  1. Lycopsida and Psilopsida

  2. Filicinae and Lycopsida

  3. Filicinae and Sphenopsida

  4. Lycopsida and Sphenopsida
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
Cone bearing Pteridophyta are Lycopsida and Sphenopsida.

Pteridophytes (Gr. pteron= feather, phyton = plant) constitute the most primitive seedless vascular plants that reproduce by means of spores.
They have 4 sub-divisions:

(i) Psilopsida (Psilopsids)

(ii) Lycopsida (Clubmosses),

(iii) Sphenopsida (Horsetails) and

(iv) Pteropsida(Ferns).

Lycopsida:

1. Plant body more advanced and shows differentiation into root, stem and leaves.

2. Leaves are microphyllous (small) having a single unbranched vein in the midrib region.

3. Sporangia are borne in the axil of the fertile leaves (sporophyils).

4. Sporophyll form compact strobili (singularstrobilus). e.g., Lycopodium, Selaginella.

Sphenopsida:

1. Plant body still more advanced and shows differentiation into nodes and internodes like higher vascular plants.

2. Leaves microphyllous, and arise in whorls at each node.

3. Sporangia develop on sporangiophores which form compact cones at the apex of fertile branches (e.g., Equisetum).
Multiple choice classification of pteridophytes kingdom plantae plant kingdom biology

Selaginella / Fern / Pteridophyte differs from moss in

  1. An independent gametophyte

  2. An independent sporophyte

  3. Swimming antherozoids

  4. Archegonia
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In mosses (bryophytes), the sporophyte is dependent on the gametophyte. In pteridophytes (like Selaginella/Ferns), the sporophyte is independent.

Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

Which of the following set is not show heterospory and heterophily?

  1. Psilotum, Lycopodium, Pteris and Adiantum

  2. Selaginella, Salvinia, Lycopodium and Pteris

  3. Salvinia, Lycopodium, Selaginella and Psilotum

  4. Salvinia, Selaginella, Azolla and Lycopodium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Heterospory and heterophily are advanced traits found in genera like Selaginella, Salvinia, and Azolla. Psilotum, Lycopodium, Pteris, and Adiantum are generally homosporous and do not exhibit these traits.

Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

Which statement is correct for homosporus pteridophyta ?

  1. Gametophyte is autotrophic, whille sporophyte is parasitic

  2. Gametophyte is semi parasite and sporophyte is autotrophic

  3. Gametophyte and sporophyte are usually parasitic

  4. Sporophyte is autotrophic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In homosporous pteridophytes, the gametophyte (prothallus) is typically small, independent, and autotrophic, while the sporophyte is the dominant, independent, and autotrophic phase. Option A correctly identifies the autotrophic nature of the gametophyte.

Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

The plants with primitive vascular tissue are called

  1. Bryophytes

  2. Pteridophytes

  3. Angiosperms

  4. Gymnosperms
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
A. Bryophytes are the first land inhabiting or terrestrial plants. They are non vascular, terrestrial, non-flowering and non-seeded plants.
B. Pteridophytes are also known as vascular cryptograms. They are seedless vascular plants which have vascularised root, stem and leaves. 
C. Gymnosperms are the naked seeded plants.
D. Angiosperms are seed bearing and flowering vascular plants which have their seeds enclosed in fruits.
Hence, plants with primitive vascular tissue are called Pteridophytes.
So, the correct answer is 'Pteridophytes'.
Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

The pteridophyte, popularly known as 'horsetail' or a 'scouring rush' is

  1. Equisetum

  2. Fern

  3. Lycopodium

  4. Psilotum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Horsetail is in a family of plants containing about 35 species within the genus Equisetum. Scouring rush (Equisetum hyemale) is evergreen, with leafless, hollow, segmented stems with ash-colored bands. Stems grow to about 1/2 inch in diameter and reach up to five feet tall. Because the stems are rough and durable (due to their high silica content), they were called as scouring rushes, because early pioneers used them to scrub pots and pans. 

Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

Which group of plants is called as vascular cryptogams?

  1. Pteridophyta

  2. Bryophytes

  3. Algae

  4. Fungi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Vascular cryptogam is an old botanical phrase and it refers to those vascular plants that do not make seeds. Thus, cryptogam refers to the production of a separate, usually very small, archegoniate gametophyte. These are well represented in the fossil record.

Thus, vascular cryptogams are pteridophytes.

Multiple choice botany kingdom plantae introduction to pteridophytes cryptogams pteridophyta pteridophytes

Pteridophytes differ from bryophytes in having

  1. Vascular tissues

  2. Archegonia

  3. Motile sperms

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Bryophyta:
1. The main plant body is a gametophyte and haploid.
2. True roots and leaves are absent.
3. Vascular tissue is absent.
4. Archegonia with a long neck having 6 vertical rows of cells.
5. The sporophyte is capsular and totally dependent on the gametophyte.
Pteridophyta:
1. The main plant body is a sporophyte and diploid.
2. True roots and leaves are present.
3. Vascular tissue is present.
4. Archegonia with a short neck having 4 vertical rows of cells.
5. The sporophyte is differentiated to root, stem and leaves and is initially dependent on the gametophyte.