In today’s world when technology is at our disposal, it has become almost necessary to keep us well-informed and aware. It is as much more important to ask the right questions as it is to find the right answers. Keeping this in mind, this quiz has been designed to excite and educate about the fascinating world of plants. This quiz is not just a set of questions and answers or a small collection of facts which needs to be learnt but is about going a little beyond our regular knowledge and learning more about plants.
1. The valley of flowers, a national park at the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range, and home to a wide variety of endemic and rare flowers is located in:
(a) Chamoli district of Uttrakhand
(b) Chenab region, Jammu and Kashmir
(c) Brahmaputra Valley, Assam
(d) Nubra, Ladakh
2. ‘Lily of the valley’ is the national flower of:
(a) France
(b) Ireland
(c) Finland
(d) Australia
3. The flowers of this plant have bright yellow petals surrounding a disc, and the seeds of this plant can be used to make edible oil.
(a) Mustard
(b) Sunflower
(c) Ranunculus
(d) Chinarose
Image: Pixabay.com
4. This is an insect-eating water plant that has hollow traps to catch organisms such as worms and water fleas. If a prey touches the trigger hair on its trap door, the trap opens and the prey along with the surrounding water is sucked in. The plant is:
(a) Venus flytrap
(b) Sundew plant
(c) Pitcher plant
(d) Bladderwort
5. What is the oldest known living tree in the world?
(a) Pine tree in Unites States of America
(b) Spruce tree in Sweden
(c) Cypress tree in Chile
(d) Sequoia tree in Unites States of America
6. In spite of their appearance, these ‘giant sea plants’ are not typical plants, but actually a species of large brown algae. They are found in kelp forests, a dense area where many marine animals are also found. These are commonly found in the Pacific Ocean and in the temperate zones in the southern hemisphere.
(a) Giant water lily
(b) Giant kelp
(c) Giant water hyacinth
(d) Giant duckweed
7. The movement of the leaves of this plant ‘mimic’ animal sensitivity. They are mostly herbs, some are woody climbers and a few trees, they are often prickly.
(a) Mimosa
(b) Moringa
(c) Magnolia
(d) Marigold
8. This plant is dubbed the ‘baseball plant’ due to its shape resembling a baseball. It does not have any thorns and is very decorative. Indigenous to the Karoo region of South Africa, it is endangered in the wild.
(a) Is dioecious
(b) Is a succulent
(c) Secretes a poisonous milky latex
(d) All of the above
9. The world’s smallest flowering plant, commonly called ‘watermeal’, is a free-floating aquatic plant without roots. Around a dozen of these plants can easily be accommodated on a pinhead. They are eaten as a vegetable in several parts of Asia.
(a) Spirodela
(b) Microcystis
(c) Wolffia
(d) Welwitschia
10. A simple, dry, indehiscent, ‘winged fruit’ which is easily carried away by the wind for dispersing seeds farther from the parent plant, is known as:
(a) Cypsela
(b) Samara
(c) Siliqua
(d) Caryopsis
11. These trees, native to Australia, are economically very important. Their leaves yield an essential oil which is extensively used in medicines, especially cough syrups. The wood of the tree is durable and used to make furniture.
(a) Teakwood tree
(b) Shisham tree
(c) Blue gum tree
(d) Pine tree
12. An important medicinal plant which is used to treat various gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, nervous breakdowns, memory loss, and leprosy. It is also used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. All the parts of the plant are been used in different ways for various treatments.
(a) Aloe vera
(b) Indian gooseberry
(c) Indian ginseng
(d) Bhringraj
Answers:
1) a
2) c
3) b
4) d
5) b
6) b
7) a
8) d
9) c
10) b
11) c
12) c
About the Author
Dr. Pooja Gupta, has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Delhi. She is working as an Assistant Professor at the Ramjas College of the University of Delhi. A gold medalist from the University of Delhi, she has a great love for plants and wants to inculcate interest in the younger generation towards the plant world. She loves to write and create awareness on the importance of plants and sensitize the young minds towards their conservation and sustainable use.
