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ICAR AIEEA-PG Forest Botany & Plant Systematics: practice questions

ICAR AIEEA-PG — Forestry/Agroforestry & Silviculture (Major Subject Group 09) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR

Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papers
10worked here, free
20written to this exam in this subject
9syllabus units

What this subject covers

Plant morphology, anatomy and the classification systems used to name and identify forest plants, from gymnosperms to the major angiosperm families of tropical and temperate forests.

In the exams: Background to ICAR AIEEA-PG Group 09 (dendrology) and IFoS Forestry Paper II Section B (forest ecology and ethnobotany)

What ICAR AIEEA-PG asks from it

ICAR AIEEA-PG — Forestry/Agroforestry & Silviculture (background to dendrology)

Recall of plant tissues, secondary growth, leaf, flower and fruit types, rules of nomenclature, classification systems and the characters and examples of major forest families.

Where the 20 questions fall

How our questions for ICAR AIEEA-PG spread across the units of Forest Botany & Plant Systematics. Difficulty: 10 easy, 8 medium, 2 hard.

Plant cell, tissues and secondary growth3
Gymnosperms: Pinaceae, Cupressaceae, Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae3
Major angiosperm forest families: Fabaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Lamiaceae, Meliaceae, Fagaceae3
Morphology of root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed2
Principles of plant nomenclature and the International Code (ICN)2
Classification systems: Bentham & Hooker, Engler, APG2
Floras, keys and botanical databases2
Ethnobotany: concepts and methods2
Herbarium technique and plant collection1

10 practice questions, worked

Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.

1 · Plant cell, tissues and secondary growth · easy

Which lateral meristem produces wood and inner bark?

  1. Cork cambium
  2. Vascular cambium
  3. Apical meristem
  4. Intercalary meristem
Answer and working

B. Vascular cambium

The vascular cambium adds secondary xylem inward and phloem outward. The cork cambium forms periderm; apical meristems give length; intercalary meristems add length at internode bases.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

2 · Morphology of root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed · easy

A hanging spike of small unisexual flowers, as in oaks and poplars, is a:

  1. Umbel
  2. Catkin
  3. Capitulum
  4. Cyme
Answer and working

B. Catkin

Catkins (aments) occur in oaks, birches, poplars and willows.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

3 · Principles of plant nomenclature and the International Code (ICN) · hard

The starting point for nomenclature of most vascular plants is:

  1. Darwin's Origin of Species, 1859
  2. Hooker's Flora of British India, 1872
  3. Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plantarum, 1862
  4. Linnaeus's Species Plantarum, 1753
Answer and working

D. Linnaeus's Species Plantarum, 1753

Species Plantarum (1 May 1753) is the starting point.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

4 · Principles of plant nomenclature and the International Code (ICN) · medium

Family names under the ICN end in:

  1. -ales
  2. -oideae
  3. -eae
  4. -aceae
Answer and working

D. -aceae

-aceae families; -ales orders; -oideae subfamilies; -eae tribes.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

5 · Major angiosperm forest families: Fabaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Lamiaceae, Meliaceae, Fagaceae · medium

Interpetiolar stipules (between the petioles of opposite leaves) help recognise:

  1. Rubiaceae
  2. Meliaceae
  3. Fagaceae
  4. Myrtaceae
Answer and working

A. Rubiaceae

Adina, Haldina and Mitragyna are Rubiaceae.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

6 · Herbarium technique and plant collection · medium

The global directory of herbaria and their codes is:

  1. Index Kewensis
  2. Species Plantarum
  3. Index Herbariorum
  4. Flora of British India
Answer and working

C. Index Herbariorum

Index Herbariorum lists herbaria; Index Kewensis is a names index.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

7 · Floras, keys and botanical databases · easy

Hooker's Flora of British India was published in:

  1. Seven volumes, 1872–1897
  2. One volume, 1753
  3. Ten volumes, 1990–2000
  4. Three volumes, 1862–1883
Answer and working

A. Seven volumes, 1872–1897

Seven volumes over 1872–1897; 1862–1883 is Genera Plantarum.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

8 · Floras, keys and botanical databases · medium

World Flora Online succeeded which earlier resource?

  1. Species Plantarum
  2. The Plant List
  3. Flora of British India
  4. Index Herbariorum
Answer and working

B. The Plant List

WFO replaced The Plant List as a global accepted-names list.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

9 · Ethnobotany: concepts and methods · easy

Ethnobotany studies:

  1. Diseases of forest trees
  2. People-plant relationships
  3. Wood density of timbers
  4. Soil microbes in nurseries
Answer and working

B. People-plant relationships

It covers naming, use, management and valuing of plants by cultures.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

10 · Plant cell, tissues and secondary growth · easy

Wood (secondary xylem) is formed by the vascular cambium towards the:

  1. Outside
  2. Leaf tips
  3. Root hairs
  4. Inside
Answer and working

D. Inside

Xylem forms inward and phloem outward.

Further reading: Simpson, Plant Systematics (3rd ed., 2019); Judd et al., Plant Systematics (4th ed., 2016); Evert, Esau's Plant Anatomy (3rd ed., 2006)

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Read the subject

Forest Botany & Plant SystematicsThe full study manual, free ICAR AIEEA-PGFormat, sections and how it has changed

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