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