Question

A plant endemic to India is
a. Banyan
b. Gingko
c. Sequoia
d. Triticum

Answer 1

Hint: Endemic species means a species which is native to a particular place in the world and it is not found anywhere else. Endemic species are also called preincitive species which applies to species limited to a defined geographical area.

Complete answer:
Among the given options, banyan is an endemic species of India. The biological name of the banyan is Ficus religiosa. It is a fig species and it bears its fruit in the form of a structure called syconium. They have aerial prop roots which help the tree in spreading to a wider area.

Gingko is the example of endangered plant species as it is the only living species of Ginkgophyta.

Endemic species are of two types- paleo endemic and neoendemic. Paleoendemic species are this species that were widely distributed earlier, but now they have become restricted to a particular area. Endemism refers to the recently originated species through hybridization, polyploidy in plants, reproductive isolation and has not dispersed to other new areas.

Endemic species are located in a fixed geographical area, so they have more risk of extinction.

The list of endangered species are listed in the IUCN Red list. It is a catalogue of taxa that are facing the risk of extinction. The list aims to impart the information about the urgency of conservation strategies to the public and policy makers.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Note: It is important to protect the endemic species from extinction. There are various ex-situ and in-situ conservation methods that can be used for this purpose. Seed banks, gene banks, tissue culture, etc. are methods that will help in preserving the species.