Question

From which plant-seeds oil is obtained?
A. Saccharum officinarum
B. Saccharum munja
C. Arachis hypogea
D. Cicer arietinum

Answer 1

Hint: Some seeds (endosperm) of the plant produce oil which can be extracted as vegetable oil through various methods. The oil seeds usually have high fatty acid content. The seeds can be cold pressed by crushing the seeds at low temperatures to release the oils. Cold pressed oils have a neutral taste when compared to other extraction methods. The seeds can also be mechanically squeezed with expellers to produce the oils.

Complete explanation:
Option A Saccharum officinarum: Saccharum officinarum is a species of grass in the genus Saccharum. The stalks of the grass are rich in sucrose. They are widely cultivated and used for the production of sugar and ethanol. They do not produce any oil seeds.
Option A is incorrect.
Option B Saccharum munja: Saccharum munja is a type of grass found in arid zones of India. They belong to the family Gramineae. They are used as a raw material for thatching roofs and for making baskets. They do not produce any oil seeds.
Option B is incorrect.
Option C Arachis hypogea: Arachis hypogea is the biological name of peanut. Peanuts, groundnut and monkey nuts are all taxonomically classified as Arachis hypogaea. They are legume crops grown mainly for its edible seeds. The oil obtained from their seeds are used for cooking purposes.
Option C is correct.
Option D Cicer arietinum: Cicer arietinum is the scientific name of chickpeas which is an annual legume of the family Fabaceae. Chickpeas contain a high amount of protein. It is one of the oldest species of legumes. They do not produce any oil.
Option D is incorrect.

Therefore, Option C. Arachis hypogea is the correct answer.

Note:
Some of the other important oils are rapeseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil etc. Oil is used greatly by humans for various purposes. It is used for cooking, as a lubricant, in skincare and as a laxative for constipation problems. Essential oils are types of oils obtained from steam, leaves and flowers of the plant. They contain volatile chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are extracted using solvent extraction methods.