BOTANY FACTS -2

  • Pollination in Rafflesia
    By flies/mites
  • Dispersal of seeds in Rafflesia
    By Elephant
  • Smallest parasite
    Arceuthobium minutissimum — It lives in stem of Pinus,
  • Rootless plants
    Balanophora, Utricularia, Ceratophylium, Woiffia

Plantless roots

  • plants have only roots to perform assimilation/growth/reproduction e.g. Sapria, Podostemum, Arceuthobium, Rafflesia also visit facts of animals

Scindapsus (family Araceae)

  • First terrestrial and then becomes epiphyte

Arachis hypogea (Ground nut)

 

 

  • Flowering occurs outside soil and after fertilization, ovaries go into soil where fruit formation occurs. It is called Geocarpy and is due to auxin action.
  • Plant with Broadest leaves

 

  • Victoria amazonica, (Amazon lily) leaf diameter 1.5 to 1.8 m

 

  • Plant with Longest leaf
    Raphia vinifera (10—15 m )

 

Largest (Tallest) angiosperm

Eucalyptus regnans (114 m)

 

  • Tallest Gymnosperm
  • Sequoiadenron sempervirens ( = Sequoia gigantea) Douglosfir or Californian red wood tree

 

  • Largest flower
    Rafflesia arnoldi ( 1 mt in dia, wt 7 kg) It is a root parasite on Tetrastigma roots

 

  • Largest flower of India
    Sapria (a root parasite)

 

  • Largest inflorescence
    Amorphophallus titanum (5.5 m) may be upto 12 m in Agave

 

  • Largest cotyledons
    Capsella bursa pestoris (Shepherd’s purse)

 

  • Biggest fruit
    Lodoicea maldivica (Double coconut wt 6 kg)
  • Largest diameter of a tree
    Taxodium mucronatum (100—125 ft) Cestanea (167 feet)
  • Strongest wood used to keep mummies
  • Taxodium mucronatum (a gymnosperm)
  • Maximum number of chromosomes, plant
    Ophioglossum reticulatum (2n = 1262)

 

  • Animal
    Aulacantha (Radiolarians (2n = 1600)
  • Smallest Archegonium is found in
    Angiosperms
  • Largest Archegonium is found in
    Mosses
  • Smallest gametophyte plant
    Chiamydomonas
  • Largest gametopilytic plant
    Dasownia
  • Smallest pollen grain (2.5 t)
    Myosotis
  • Largest pollen grain (250 j.t)
    Mirabilis
  • Biggest ovule
    Cycas thourasii (7 cm in length)

 

  • Biggest sperm
    Cycas
  • Biggest egg
    Cycas
  • Largest seed
    Lodoicea maidivica
  • Maximum number of chromosomes in Angiospérms
    Poa litorosa 2n = 266
  • Smallest chromosome
    An alga (0.025 rim)
  • Largest chromosome
    Trillium govanianuin (30 jim)

 

  • Minimum number of chromosomes-Plant
    Mucor, Porphyra (n = 2)
  • Minimum number of chromosomes-animal
    Ascaris (2n = 2)
  • Highest yielding cereal (grain) crop
    Maize
  • Largest and widest cultivated crop
    Rice (Oryza sativ)
  • Most advanced family
    Compositae in dicots and gramineae in monocots
  • Billiards ball is made
    from vegetable (Ivory) Palm (Phvtelephas microcarpa)
  • Lightest wood
    Balsa (Ochrorna Pyramidale) sp. gr. 00444
  • Heaviest wood of world
    Guaicum officinale ( sp. gr. I .49 wt. 93 lb/cubic feet
  • Heaviest wood of India
    Hardwichia birata, Acacia sundra
  • Fire proof wood (wood without resin)
    Sequoia dendron
  • Maximum life span of a tree
    Macrozamia (10000 years), Dracaena (8000 years)

 

  • Largest spreading tree
    Ficus bengulensis

 

  • Largest leaf in diameter
    Victoria arnazonica (V. regia) Amazon lily dia. (5—6 ft)
  • Longest leaf
    Raphia vinifera 30—50 ft
  • Longest Botanic Garden of World
    Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, England

Largest Botanic Garden of India
Indian Botanic Garden, Sibhpur (Howrah) Calcutta

 

  • First Plant taxonomist
    Caesalpinio

 

  • World’s largest herbarium
    Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, England
  • Largest herbarium of India
    Central National Herbarium (CNH), Howrah, WB