Question

Seeds of which plant are called black pearls?
A) Piper nigrum
B) Argemone mexicana
C) Elettaria cardamomum
D) Coffee arabica

Answer 1

Hint: Seed is the unit of reproduction in a flowering plant. Seeds are the product of the ripened ovule, after fertilization by pollen and some growth within the mother plant. It is a mature ovule that encloses an embryo. It is capable of developing into a plant of the same type.

Complete answer:
Piperaceae is also described as the pepper family. It is part of the plant kingdom. They are a large family of flowering plants. Most of the peppers are found in two genera, namely piper and peperomia. Piper nigrum is part of the Piperaceae family and comes under the order of Piperales. It is cultivated for its fruit. The fruit is known as a peppercorn. The common name of the plant Piper nigrum is black pepper.

The fruit is dried and then used as a spice and also for the purpose of seasoning. The plant produces both peppercorn and ground pepper. It is commonly known as black pepper or simply pepper. Black pepper is famous for being the world’s most traded spice. Also, it is a common ingredient in the making of traditional medicines. Black pepper is a popular choice of ingredient for most cuisines. The fruits look like black coloured pearls after they are dried. Hence, they are called black pearls.

Argemone mexicana: The seeds of Argemone mexicana are the source of Argemone oil. It serves as an adulterant to edible oils like sunflower oil.
Elettaria cardamomum: Cardamom is obtained from the seeds of the plant Elettaria cardamomum. It is also known as the queen of spices.
Coffee arabica: also known as Arabian coffee, is recognized as the first species of coffee to be cultivated. Coffee arabica accounts for almost three fourth of the total amount of coffee produced globally.

Therefore, the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: The perisperm of the black pepper is of diploid genetic makeup. On the other hand, the endosperm part has a triploid genetic makeup. The Piper nigrum is common in Kerala and other tropical regions. There are six variants of peppercorns. The spicy nature of Pepper is due to an ingredient called piperine which is derived from seed as well as the outer fruit.