The state flower of Rajasthan is -

Correct — option (2), Rohida.

The Government of Rajasthan's state portal has a State Symbols page; the Wayback Machine copy of 26 October 2021, the day before the exam, states: "Rohida (Tecomella undulata) is the official state Flower of Rajasthan."

Rohida is a desert tree. Wikipedia's article on Tecomella (October 2021 revision) says it is found in the Thar Desert regions of India and Pakistan, mainly in the western parts of Rajasthan, and that its trade name is desert teak or Marwar teak.

So the state flower is Rohida, the bloom of this timber tree.

The idea to remember: Rohida (Tecomella undulata) is Rajasthan's state flower; Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) is its state tree.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  Kachnar — Kachnar is the orchid tree, Bauhinia variegata. The Forest Research Institute's ENVIS table of state symbols (last updated 30 May 2019) lists Kachnar as the flower of Bihar, as does Wikipedia's list of Indian state flowers (July 2021 revision).

  The Government of Rajasthan's State Symbols page names Rohida, not Kachnar, as Rajasthan's state flower.

• (3)
  Sunflower — Sunflower does not appear on the Government of Rajasthan's State Symbols page, which names Rohida as the state flower.

  Wikipedia's list of Indian state flowers (July 2021 revision) does not give it for any state either.

• (4)
  Nag Kesar — Nag Kesar is Mesua ferrea. Wikipedia's list of Indian state flowers (July 2021 revision) gives it as the state flower of Tripura.

  Rajasthan's own State Symbols page names Rohida, a tree of the western desert, as the state flower.

State symbols are emblems a state government adopts. The Government of Rajasthan's State Symbols page lists, among others, a state flower, tree, bird, dance and game.

Rohida, Tecomella undulata, is a medium-sized tree. Wikipedia's Tecomella article describes it as deciduous or nearly evergreen, suited to arid and semi-arid regions, and thriving on stabilised sand dunes.

The same article says its wood is strong, tough and durable; its trade name is desert teak or Marwar teak.

Key facts

• Rajasthan's state flower is Rohida, Tecomella undulata (Government of Rajasthan state portal, State Symbols page, as archived on 26 October 2021).
• The same page names Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) as the state tree and Godawan, the Great Indian Bustard, as the state bird.
• Rohida's trade name is desert teak or Marwar teak (Wikipedia, Tecomella, October 2021).
• Rohida binds soil with lateral roots, acts as a windbreak and helps stabilise shifting sand dunes.
• Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) is Bihar's flower in the Forest Research Institute's ENVIS table; Wikipedia's list gives Nag Kesar (Mesua ferrea) for Tripura.

Common traps

• Flower versus tree: Rohida is the state flower and Khejri the state tree; both sit on the same State Symbols page.
• Kachnar and Nag Kesar are state flowers elsewhere: Wikipedia's list places them with Bihar and Tripura.
• Rohida is a timber tree as well as the state flower, so a clue about wood or 'Marwar teak' still points to Rohida.

UnlockIAS will link similar questions from RAS Pre 2018 here once that paper is published on this site.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Tecomella undulata, known in Rajasthan as Rohida, is the state's official –

  • (a)State tree
  • (b)State flower
  • (c)State fruit
  • (d)State grass
  Answer(2) — the Government of Rajasthan's State Symbols page says Rohida (Tecomella undulata) is the official state flower. Option (1) is Khejri on the same page, and that page lists no state fruit or state grass.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  The botanical name of Khejri, the state tree of Rajasthan, is –

  • (a)Tecomella undulata
  • (b)Prosopis cineraria
  • (c)Bauhinia variegata
  • (d)Mesua ferrea
  Answer(2) — the State Symbols page gives Khejri as Prosopis cineraria. Option (1) is Rohida, the state flower; option (3) is Kachnar and option (4) is Nag Kesar.