Who among the following popularized the use of embryological characters in taxonomy?
- (a)Carl Linnaeus
- (b)Panchanan Maheshwari
- (c)Birbal Sahni
- (d)Bentham and Hooker
Correct — B, Panchanan Maheshwari. Panchanan Maheshwari, the Indian botanist regarded as the father of Indian plant embryology, popularised the use of embryological characters — features such as the development of the embryo sac, endosperm and embryo — as evidence in plant classification, treating these developmental traits as reliable taxonomic markers alongside external morphology.
- (a)Carl Linnaeus — Linnaeus is known for binomial nomenclature and an artificial 'sexual system' of classification based on floral parts, not for embryological characters.
- (c)Birbal Sahni — Birbal Sahni was a palaeobotanist famous for the study of fossil plants; he did not develop embryological taxonomy.
- (d)Bentham and Hooker — Bentham and Hooker gave a widely used natural system of classification based largely on gross morphology (in Genera Plantarum), not on embryological features.
Taxonomy can use many kinds of evidence — morphology, anatomy, cytology and embryology. Embryological characters describe how the embryo sac, endosperm and embryo develop. Panchanan Maheshwari showed that such developmental features are dependable characters for classifying and relating plant groups.
Each name in the options is tied to a different theme: Linnaeus to nomenclature, Bentham and Hooker to a morphology-based natural system, Birbal Sahni to fossils. Only Maheshwari is linked to embryology, which points to option (b).
- Panchanan Maheshwari (1904-1966) was an Indian botanist, the 'father of Indian plant embryology'.
- He championed embryological characters (embryo-sac, endosperm and embryo development) as taxonomic evidence.
- He pioneered test-tube fertilisation in angiosperms and built plant-embryology research at the University of Delhi.
- He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1965.
- Defaulting to Linnaeus for anything on classification — he is tied to nomenclature and the sexual system, not embryological taxonomy.
- Confusing Birbal Sahni (palaeobotany, fossils) with Maheshwari (embryology).
Asked as a 'who among the following' contribution-match that links a scientist to embryological taxonomy.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Panchanan Maheshwari is best known for his pioneering work in
- (a)palaeobotany
- (b)plant embryology
- (c)microbiology
- (d)plant pathology
Answer(b) plant embryology — he is called the father of Indian plant embryology.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The natural system of classification set out in Genera Plantarum is credited to
- (a)Linnaeus
- (b)Engler and Prantl
- (c)Bentham and Hooker
- (d)Hutchinson
Answer(c) Bentham and Hooker — their morphology-based natural system.