Question

Lady’s finger belongs to the family
(a) Malvaceae
(b) Cucurbitaceae
(c) Liliaceae
(d) Brassicaceae

Answer 1

Hint: Okra belongs to the family which contains plants with gamosepalous calyx, polysepalous petals, monothecous anthers, syncarpous gynoecium.

Complete step by step answer:
In kingdom Plantae, based upon both vegetative and reproductive features, a group of related genera with fewer similarities compared with genus and species are placed under a category called ‘family’.
Abelmoschus esculentus is the scientific name of a lady's finger belonging to the family Malvaceae.
So, the correct answer is ‘Malvaceae’.

Additional information:
- Taxonomy is a classification of all living organisms based upon their characters. All living organisms are classified into different taxa.
- Categories of taxonomy include species, genus, family, order, class, division, phylum, kingdom.
- Based upon vegetative and reproductive characters, a group of a related genus is placed under the category ‘family’.
- Malvaceae is one such family that contains about 85 genera and 1500 species ex: cotton (Gossypium species), cacao (Theobroma cacao), linden (Tilia species), durian (Durio species), Hibiscus, and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).
- The common name of the lady’s finger is ‘okra’.
- Vegetative characters of Malvaceae include the presence of mucilaginous sap in all parts of the plant, plants may be herbs, shrubs, and few trees. It contains branched taproot, the stem is branched herbaceous erect or spreading with stellate hairs
- Floral characteristics include pedicellate, bracteate, bracteolate, actinomorphic, pentamerous, hypogynous flower with 3 ep calyces, 5 calyces, 5 or polypetalous, monadelphous androecium, multicarpellary ovary.
- Fruits may be schizocarpic, capsule, and berry
- Seeds are non-endospermic
- Pollination is via insects. This type of pollination is called entomophily.
- Floral formula of the Malvaceae family is 3-8 epicalyces, the calyx has 5 gamosepalous sepals, the corolla has 5 polypetalous petals, multiple stamens, and a superior ovary with bi-to multicarpellary syncarp.

Note: Malvaceae is commonly known as the mallow family. Most of the plants in this family are fiber yielding plants which can be used for commercial purposes.
Other examples of this family are cotton, hibiscus, Urena lobata, etc.