📘 IAS Prelims 2025 — GS-I Q.39 | Classroom Explanation

(Basic Science | Botany)

📌 Question

Q.39) 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

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✅ Correct Answer: (b)

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🧑‍🏫 Classroom Explanation

This question tests basic plant morphology and life-form classification, a favourite UPSC area where common plants are used to test conceptual clarity.

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🔍 Pair-wise Analysis

✅ Pair I: Cassava – Woody shrub (Correct)

• Cassava (Manihot esculenta):

• A woody shrub
• Cultivated for its starchy tuberous roots
• Known as tapioca in India

➡️ Pair I is correctly matched.

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✅ Pair II: Ginger – Herb with pseudostem (Correct)

• Ginger (Zingiber officinale):

• A perennial herb
• Possesses a pseudostem formed by overlapping leaf bases
• Underground stem is a rhizome

➡️ Pair II is correctly matched.

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✅ Pair III: Malabar spinach – Herbaceous climber (Correct)

• Malabar spinach (Basella alba):

• A soft-stemmed (herbaceous) climber
• Common in tropical climates
• Climbs using twining stems

➡️ Pair III is correctly matched.

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❌ Pair IV: Mint – Annual shrub (Incorrect)

• Mint (Mentha species):

• A perennial herb
• Spreads through underground rhizomes
• Not a shrub
• Not annual

➡️ Pair IV is incorrectly matched.

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❌ Pair V: Papaya – Woody shrub (Incorrect)

• Papaya (Carica papaya):

• Appears tree-like but is botanically a large herb
• Stem is soft, hollow, and non-woody
• Classified as a giant herb, not a shrub

➡️ Pair V is incorrectly matched.

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🧮 Logical Counting (UPSC Style)

• Correct pairs: I, II, III
• Incorrect pairs: IV, V

➡️ Number of correct pairs = 3

➡️ Correct option: (b) Only three

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🎯 Final Answer

✅ Correct Answer: (b)

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📦 Info Box — High-Value UPSC Traps (Remember!)

🌿 Herb vs Shrub vs Tree

• Herb → Soft, non-woody stem
• Shrub → Woody, multiple stems
• Tree → Woody, single trunk

⚠️ Common UPSC Traps

• Papaya ≠ tree
• Banana ≠ tree (also a giant herb)
• Mint ≠ shrub
• Pseudostem ≠ true stem

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📍 GS Mapping

GS Paper I (Prelims)
Theme: Basic Science (Botany)
Nature: Conceptual + Classification

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