Botany Trivia

1. Sometimes known as king sago palm, what type of food can be obtained from the Cycas revoluta?

From Quiz From Time Immemorial

Answer: Starch

Cycads are not actually palms, despite looking like them at first sight. They contain neurotoxins and so extensive processing is required leach these out before any useful food can be obtained. The quick-growing and non-toxic sago palm Mertoxylon sagu is the main source of sago. It is obtained from the spongy pith or trunk of the plants. Most extant varieties of cycads evolved in the last 12 million years, although the lineage goes back perhaps 280 million years. They are slow-growing, long-lived (up to a 1,000 years) and can survive in relatively dry conditions.

From Quiz The Castor Oil Plant - Uses and Abuses

Answer: Ricinus communis

Ricinus communis is the correct name for the castor oil or castor bean plant. It is a member of the spurge (Euphorbia) family, but the only example of the genus Ricinus. Fatsia japonica is similar in appearance (and it is called the false castor oil plant), but it is totally unrelated. The name Ricinus is a Latin word for tick; the seed looks very much like certain types of tick in shape and markings. The common name, castor, is possibly because it replaced castoreum, an extract from beaver glands, as a perfume base (although an alternative source suggests early explorers confused it with the oil of another shrub, Vitex agnus-castus).

From Quiz A Botanist Walks Into A Flower Shop. . .

Answer: Tulipa

The tulip has been traced to Persia where they were bred and cultivated during the Ottoman Empire. Although it is unclear how the tulip spread outside Asia, it is clear that by the 1500s, the tulip was being grown in the Netherlands. In the 21st century, the Netherlands produces approximately three billion bulbs for export each year. The botanist is sure to get her dozen tulips at the flower shop with that many new tulips produced every year!

From Quiz Basic Botany at Herbie's Herbal Shop

Answer: bark

Many cultures have traditionally used cinnamon bark to relieve gastrointestinal problems. Generally the inner bark is used. Ground into a powder, it also makes a delicious spice on French toast!

From Quiz Down On The Farm

Answer: Extremely dangerous

Growing vegetables involves heavy machinery, such as ditch diggers, bedders, planters, tractors, chemical sprayers, and for major crops such as wheat, harvesters. Workers must be trained in the proper use of machinery and the proper attire for each job. Our farm used hand labor, so no harvesting machinery was necessary. The tool of choice was the Ontario 'Cabbage Knife'. Other dangers include the remoteness of some fields, presence of harsh chemicals, storage of gasoline and diesel fuel for trucks and machinery, language barriers (My employer was from China and 99% of the workers were from Mexico; the remaining 1% were gringos, Vietnamese and Haitians), communication with the home office or packing house and lack of training. Of the 200 or so workers on the farm, only 16 had walkie-talkies, and as supervisors they were responsible for keeping an eye on those that had no communication device.

From Quiz Basics of Plant Biology

Answer: Plant physiology

Plant morphology studies the structure of plants, phytochemistry studies biochemistry of plants and plant molecular biology studies the important biological molecules of plants.

From Quiz Basic Botany

Answer: Pollination

Pollen grains are called microspores. They are produced in large numbers by seed plants (and some other plants which I won't go into here). These pollen grains are produced in pollen sacs called anthers. Pollination is the means of transferring the pollen of plants to other compatible plants of the same type. Biotic pollination is performed by insects, especially bees, as well as by birds, bats and some other animals. There is also cross-pollination, self-pollination, hand pollination and wind pollination. Life cycle summary = pollination.

From Quiz Plant Tissues

Answer: Meristematic Tissue

There are two types of plant tissues- meristematic and permanent. Meristematic tissue is the tissue which has the ability to divide whereas the permanent tissue cannot divide. Epithelial and connective tissues are examples of animal tissues.

From Quiz Root Modifications in Plants

Answer: The storage of food.

'Food' in this case refers to carbohydrates (like starch) synthesized during photosynthesis.

From Quiz Leaves

Answer: cuticle

The major function of the cuticle is to control the amount of light which goes into the leaf, and the amount of water which goes out. On a hot, dry, sunny day for example the leaf will not let as much water out or sunlight in.

From Quiz PLANT FACTS: the plant acrostic!

Answer: perennial & perennials & perennial

Angiosperms who live one year have an annual life cycle. Those who live two years have a biennial life cycle. And finally, those with a perennial life cycle live more than two years.

From Quiz 'Phun' with Photosynthesis

Answer: 6H2O + 6CO2 ---> C6H12O6+ 6O2

Photosynthesis is water + carbon dioxide ---> sugar [used as energy] + oxygen. 6O2 + C6H12O6 ---->6H20 + 6CO2 is cellular respiration (the opposite equation of photosynthesis) and the other two are the forward (3CO2+ 9ATP+ 6NADPH ---> PGAL +9ADP +6NADP) and backward (PGAL +9ADP +6NADP --->3CO2+ 9ATP+ 6NADPH) versions of the Calvin cycle.

From Quiz Photosynthesis: An Overview

Answer: ...absorbs very little green light.

Chlorophyll is what absorbs the sun's energy, but it is mainly in the blue and red regions of the spectrum that chlorophyll can absorb light.

From Quiz Lilies of the Field -- And Other Plants

Answer: Acacia

The scientific name of this plant is Acacia senegal. The wood is used for sacred fires in India.

From Quiz Basics of Botany

Answer: Theophrastus

Theophrastus took Aristotle's place as the leader of the Lyceum after the death of the master. He is also credited with postulating many of the laws of physics and curiously enough he disproved the notion of Aristotle that heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects.

From Quiz Facts About Plants

Answer: Three different leaf shapes

One leaf is normal - one is mitten-shaped - one has three segments.

From Quiz Poisonous Plants II

Answer: Saint Patrick

Many botanists, herbalists, and historians agree that this jade green trifolilate plant that grows in Ireland, Europe, United States, and Canada was mistaken for a three leaf clover. It is still today commonly mixed up with the clover.

From Quiz Botany

Answer: Plants

The study of animals is zoology. The study of rocks is geology. The study of stars is astronomy.

From Quiz Plant Basics

Answer: A Tree

From Quiz Pick Your Poisonous Plant

Answer: Angel's trumpet

Angel's trumpet is a plant with sagging flowers, used for ornamental purposes. The name comes from the shape of the large flowers. The plant no longer grows in the wild. It does have uses in medicine. As an example, it is used externally on the skin to alleviate pains such as rheumatism or arthritis. All parts of the plant though are toxic, especially the seeds and leaves. As a result of its poisonous nature, it is very rarely used internally and sometimes only as part of a larger mixture to induce vomiting or as a sedative. It has intense hallucinogenic qualities that have been described as terrifying as they are also accompanied by a complete loss of reality and a failure to remember what happened.

From Quiz Lavender, Queen of Herbs

Answer: Bulgaria

For many years France and England have been considered to be the largest producers of lavenders, but in the 21st century these have been surpassed by Bulgaria, which had never been a significant producer in the past. Many countries are now producing commercial quantities of lavender and its oils for cosmetics, herbal medicines and aromatherapy.

From Quiz The Castor Oil Plant - Uses and Abuses

Answer: As a punishment administered to children

Castor oil was used as a punishment for recalcitrant prisoners, servants and even naughty children in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a strong laxative that was used (by force feeding great quantities) to incapacitate and humiliate political dissenters in Mussolini's Italy. Due to its dehydrating effect, combined with beatings, some victims died. Castor oil is used as a perfume base. Castor oil is commonly used as a food additive, mould inhibitor, and for improving the flow of cocoa butter in making chocolate bars. It is also used in the cosmetics industry, to strengthen and improve hair gloss and as a skin moisturiser. Extracts of castor oil are added to many drugs, including eye drops.

From Quiz Zest For Life

Answer: A berry

A citrus fruit is a specialized berry called a hesperidium. A hesperidium is a berry with a leathery skin. Apples are an example of a pome, a fruit with a thick hypanthium - derived from the receptacle of the flower. A peach or plum is a good example of a drupe, essentially a "stone" fruit. An aggregate fruit is one such as a raspberry or strawberry that has many seeds (ovaries) from a single flower. While these are the types of fruits that we often think of as berries, they actually are not considered berries botanically.

From Quiz Basic Botany at Herbie's Herbal Shop

Answer: flowers

The corolla refers to the petals and the calyx refers to the green, leaflike things that enclose the petals. The reproductive organs would be the stamens (male) and the carpels (female). Pot marigold is Calendula oficinalis. Made into a compound or cream, naturopaths may suggest the flowers for minor burns, diaper rash, eczema or bee stings. A tincture is used internally for indigestion and externally for earaches. Supposedly an infusion of the flowers is also good for fever.

From Quiz Basics of Plant Biology

Answer: Pericycle

Pericycle is located at the most outward of the root vascular cylinder and is considered a primary tissue.

From Quiz Basic Botany

Answer: Stamen

The stamen is the male reproductive organ of a flowering plant. It consists of a fine stalk called a filament and the pollen sac which is called the anther. The microspores of pollen are transferred across to the carpel (the female reproductive organ) usually of a different plant of the same type. This process is called sexual reproduction. There can also be asexual reproduction. Taking cuttings of plants and planting them to grow is one example of asexual reproduction. The calyx is the outmost part of a flower. A frond is a large leaf like those of ferns.

From Quiz The Criminal World of Plants

Answer: Coca

Archaeological evidence shows that coca leaves, from which cocaine is extracted, were used as a mild stimulant as far back as 3000 BC. The Incas and Spanish conquistadores recognized the stimulating effects of cocaine. Even today, in native Andean communities, coca leaves are still chewed as a mild stimulant.

From Quiz Plant Tissues

Answer: Lateral

Lateral meristem is found on the outer walls of the stem and root of the plant. Apical and intercalary are the other types of meristematic tissues. Parenchyma is not a meristematic tissue, but a permanent tissue.

From Quiz Root Modifications in Plants

Answer: Cultivated radish.

Cultivated radish is a good source of vitamins B and C, and minerals like potassium, magnesium and calcium.

From Quiz Leaves

Answer: epidermis layer

The epidermis layer is located below the cuticle in not only the leaf but also the stem and root.

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Last Updated Dec 13 2025 5:47 AM

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