Question

Which of the following is not an example of corm?
A. Colocasia
B. Freesia
C. Crocus
D. Zingiber

Answer 1

Hint:-Corm (bulbotuber) is a short and vertical stem present under the ground. It is a fleshy part of the plant that acts as a storage unit of food in some plants. These plants use them during unfavourable conditions (such as drought) or in winters to survive.

Complete answer:
A corm contains one or more internodes and at least one growing point. It is protected with leaves modified as skins or tunics which form a covering layer protecting the corms from insects or bigger animals, water loss, etc. A tunic is produced from the dead petiole sheath and is thin and dry mostly. A corm is made up of parenchyma cells that are rich in starch.Colocasia, Freesia, and Crocus possess corms. They are either cultivated for their ornamental flowers or their edible corms. The corm in Colocasia and Crocus are large and are used for reproduction as well as a food source. However, the corm of freesia is used for reproduction purposes only. Zingiber does not have corms.
Thus the correct option is (D) Zingiber.

Additional information:- Zingiber is a genus containing true gingers that are used all over the world for its culinary and medicinal importance. It is a perennial plant. It contains tuberous and leafy stems. It is native to the Southeast region of Asia including China, Thailand, and India.

Note:- When a plant is grown from its corms, it is known as cormous plants, similar to the plants which are grown from tubers or bulbs called tuberous and bulbous plants respectively. Corm can be dug out to use it to propagate a new plant or to redistribute the plant. This can be done by cutting small sections of corms with at least one bud and replanting them.