Question

A botanist collected some fruits with hook-like spines and when the seeds of the same have been germinated they turned out to be asteraceae taxa, bearing asepalous and wind-pollinated flowers. The fruit he collected were of ______.
(a) Xanthium strumarium
(b) Lactuca sativa
(c) Carthamus tinctorius
(d) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Some plants of the Asteraceae family have fruits with hook-like spines and the flowers of most of them possess flower heads that contain the seeds. Most of these plants are found in all parts of the world but some of them are native to certain places.

Complete answer:
The fruits collected by the botanist had hook-like spines and when the seeds of the same have been germinated turned out to be asteraceae taxa and gave rise to asepalous and wind-pollinated flowers. These fruits were Xanthium strumarium which are known as rough cocklebur and are a species of annual plants of the Asteraceae family. In flowering, they give rise to an asepalous flower which later turns into fruits with hook-like spines.

Additional Information: Xanthium strumarium is known as rough cocklebur is a common cocklebur and originated in North America. These are Monoecious and bear flowers in separate unisexual heads-staminated head situated above the pistillate head. These are asepalous in nature. These are known for their medicinal properties which are used in South Asia and Chinese medicinal techniques.
Lactuca sativa, commonly known as lettuce, originated in Egypt where it was farmed as food. It belongs to the family Asteraceae and often grown commercially as leaf vegetables in almost all parts of the world. The flowers of lettuce have multiple florets each with a pappus, a corolla of five petals fused together into a single, and the reproductive parts. The pappus remains at the top of each fruit as a dispersal structure and the fruit contains one seed inside.
Carthamus tinctorius or safflower is a herbaceous annual plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family as well. It is cultivated commercially for vegetable oil and as a substitute for saffron. The flowers have flower heads containing 15 to 20 seeds per head.

Note: Xanthium strumarium is used for medicinal purposes and has traditional values among Native Americans. They chew the seeds of these plants and rub them onto the body before their cactus ceremony. These seeds are also applied to wounds or used to remove splinters. Sometimes these are ground and mixed with cornmeal, made into cakes, and steamed for food.