Question

The presence of a sheathing leaf base and ligule is characteristic of
(A)Cycas leaf
(B)Fern leaf
(C)Banana leaf
(D)Grass leaf

Answer 1

Hint: Ligules help in protecting the leaves from dust, water, and many more harmful substances. It is present in the leaves which are present singly at the nodes and have parallel venation.

Complete answer:
In many monocot plants such as grasses, the leaf base which is present is broad and surrounds the stem as an envelope. This type of leaf base is called a sheathing leaf base. An additional outgrowth is present between the leaf base and the lamina. That additional outgrowth is known as ligule.

Additional Information: Grasses are herbaceous plants and have narrow leaves growing from the base. Most grasses are short but some grasses such as bamboo are very long. Grasses are used as the food sources of many grazers like cows, grasshoppers, caterpillars, etc. Grasses belong to the Poaceae family.
Cycas leaves are pinnate and are covered with thick and hard keratinose. The leaflets are articulated and mid-rib is present.
The leaves of the fern are commonly known as fronds. It is mostly made of leafy blade and petiole.
Banana leaves are large and elongated. The surface of the leaf is waxy. There are many uses of banana leaves. They are used for serving purposes, for cooking, wrapping, and many more ways it can be used. Even at some places, roofs and fences are also made up of dry banana leaves.

So, the correct answer is ‘Grass leaf’.

Note: Ligule is a strap-shaped extension of the corolla. It is a membranous appendage. Sheathing leaf base protects the intercalary meristem of the plant. The plants belonging to the family Poaceae have a sheathing leaf base.

Ligule and sheath present in Grass.