Consider the following pairs :
| Plant | Description |
| I. Cassava | : Woody shrub |
| II. Ginger | : Herb with pseudostem |
| III. Malabar spinach | : Herbaceous climber |
| IV. Mint | : Annual shrub |
| V. Papaya | : Woody shrub |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) All the five
The correct answer is (b) Only three.
Explanation
Here is a botanical analysis of each pair:
- I. Cassava : Woody shrub
- This is Correct. The cassava plant (Manihot esculenta) is a perennial that grows as a shrub and develops woody stems.
- II. Ginger : Herb with pseudostem
- This is Correct. The ginger plant (Zingiber officinale) is a herbaceous perennial. The part that looks like a stem is actually a pseudostem, which is a false stem made of the tightly wrapped bases of the leaves.
- III. Malabar spinach : Herbaceous climber
- This is Correct. Malabar spinach (Basella alba) is not a true spinach but a fast-growing, non-woody (herbaceous) vine, which makes it a climber.
- IV. Mint : Annual shrub
- This is Incorrect. Mint (Mentha species) is a herbaceous perennial. It is not a shrub (it’s non-woody) and not an annual (it regrows each year).
- V. Papaya : Woody shrub
- This is Incorrect. The papaya plant (Carica papaya) is a large, tree-like herb. It does not develop persistent woody tissue (its stem is hollow and fleshy) and is therefore not a shrub.
Therefore, only three pairs (I, II, and III) are correctly matched.
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