grouping-plants-by-their-features MCQs for UPSC Prelims

25 practice questions on grouping-plants-by-their-features from the Diversity in the Living World section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 25 come with a written explanation. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

7 Easy 13 Medium 5 Hard

Sample questions

Q1
hard

A student finds two plants of about the same height. One has a soft green stem that bends easily, the other has a hard woody stem that branches near the base. How should she group them?

  1. A The first is a shrub and the second is a herb
  2. B The first is a herb and the second is a shrub
  3. C Both are shrubs, because they are of the same height
  4. D Both are herbs, because they are of the same height
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - The first is a herb and the second is a shrub

Height by itself does not decide the group; the nature of the stem does. A soft green bending stem marks a herb, while a hard woody stem branching near the base marks a shrub. Grouping them together by height ignores the stem, and the last choice swaps the two descriptions.

Q2
easy

Why do we place plants and animals into groups?

  1. A Because grouping reduces the number of living things in a place
  2. B Because grouping makes the huge variety easier to study and compare
  3. C Because grouping makes all living things look alike
  4. D Because grouping changes the features of living things
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Because grouping makes the huge variety easier to study and compare

Grouping brings together living things that share features, so a large variety can be studied and compared without handling every kind separately. Grouping is only a way of arranging what we know, so it does not make living things alike, remove any of them, or alter their features.

Q3
easy

Which description fits a plant that is placed in the group of herbs?

  1. A A short plant with a soft, green and tender stem
  2. B A plant with a weak stem that spreads flat on the ground
  3. C A tall plant with a single thick woody trunk
  4. D A medium sized plant with hard woody branches starting near the base
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - A short plant with a soft, green and tender stem

Herbs are short plants with soft green stems. A tall plant with a thick woody trunk is a tree, hard woody branches starting near the base describe a shrub, and a weak stem spreading on the ground describes a creeper.

Q4
hard

A student is shown a leaf with net-like venation and asked to predict the root system of that plant, without digging it out. What should she predict, and why?

  1. A Fibrous roots, because every leafy plant has fibrous roots
  2. B No prediction is possible, because leaves and roots are never linked
  3. C A tap root, because reticulate venation usually goes together with a tap root system
  4. D A tap root, because the leaf has a thick midrib and roots copy the shape of leaves
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - A tap root, because reticulate venation usually goes together with a tap root system

Reticulate venation and a tap root system usually occur together, which is what makes the prediction reasonable. Fibrous roots go with parallel venation, and the link between venation and root type is real and useful. Roots do not copy the shape of leaves, so the last choice reaches the right guess through a wrong reason.

Q5
medium

Assertion (A): Two leaves can show the same kind of venation and still have very different shapes. Reason (R): The shape of a leaf always decides the kind of venation it will have.

  1. A Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
  2. B Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
  3. C A is true, but R is false
  4. D A is false, but R is true
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - A is true, but R is false

A is true, since leaves with net-like venation come in long, broad and rounded shapes alike. R is false, because shape and venation are separate features and neither one decides the other. So A is true but R is false.

Q6
easy

A neem plant is tall, has a thick hard stem, and its branches begin high above the ground. Which group does it belong to?

  1. A Herb
  2. B Tree
  3. C Shrub
  4. D Creeper
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Tree

Great height with a thick hard stem and branches high above the ground are the marks of a tree. A herb is short with a soft stem, a shrub is medium sized with branches near the base, and a creeper spreads along the ground.

Q7
medium

In some plants a single leaf grows at each point on the stem, one above another on alternate sides. In other plants two leaves grow opposite each other at the same point. Which leaf feature is being described here?

  1. A The arrangement of leaves on the stem
  2. B The shape of the leaf margin
  3. C The venation of the leaf
  4. D The colour of the leaf
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - The arrangement of leaves on the stem

How leaves are placed along the stem, singly or in pairs, is called their arrangement. Venation refers to the pattern of veins inside the blade, the margin is the edge of the leaf, and colour is a separate feature. None of these three is being described.

Q8
easy

A pumpkin plant has a weak stem that spreads over the ground. It is an example of a

  1. A climber
  2. B shrub
  3. C tree
  4. D creeper
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - creeper

A weak stem spreading over the ground is the mark of a creeper, and pumpkin is a common example. A climber would rise by holding a support instead. A tree has a tall woody trunk and a shrub a hard stem branching near the base, neither of which fits a pumpkin plant.

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