Question

The system of classification of plants proposed by these two botanists is claimed to be a natural system.
A. Engler and Prantl
B. Bentham and Hooker
C. Aristotle and Theophrastus
D. Darwin and Wallace

Answer 1

Hint: Plants are the multicellular living beings that exist on this Earth. Plants are autotrophic, which means they can make their own food with the help of process photosynthesis (the process by which plants make their own food with the help of sunlight, chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and water).

Complete Answer:
- The natural system of plants was proposed by Bentham and Hooker in their three volume treatise ‘Genera Plantarum”.
- Natural system of classification is a system that takes comparable study of a number of characters into consideration so as to bring out natural similarities and dissimilarities among the plants.
- This system employs the characters that are constant. The constant characters include anatomical characters, reproductive characters, taxonomy, physiology, cytological characters, etc.
- These characteristics help the scientists to ring out some similarities in a group of plants and comparable differences that distinguish one group of plants to another group of plants.
 For example – Birds possess wings, feathers, ovipary, 4-chambered heart and warm blood. And fishes possess cold blood, 2-chambered heart scales.

Additional information:
1. Contribution of Engler and Prnatl – Engler and Prantl are the german botanists. They were following the work of Bentham and Hooker about the natural system of classification of plants. Engler considered monocot plants are more primitive than that of dicot plants.
2. Contribution of Aristotle and Theophrastus – Aristotle and Theophrastus ware the last greek philosophers and scientists of greek Classical Antiquity. Aristotle was known as the father of Zoology and Theophrastus was the father of Botany. Both of them are the co-founders of biology.
3. Contribution of Darwin and Wallace – Darwin and Wallace both formulated the theory of natural selection in the field of evolution.

Hence, option B is the correct answer for this question.

Note: Natural system of classification is better than that of artificial system of classification as-
- In the natural system there is a stress on actual study of each and every organism.
- This system brings out natural relationships amongst organisms.
- This system indicates phylogenetic relationship.