Question

Which of the following represents the edible swollen portion of Allium cepa?
A. Aerial stem
B. Underground stem
C. Internodes
D. Leaf bases

Answer 1

Hint:
> The onion is also known as the bulb onion or common onion.
> It is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus allium.
> Its close relatives include the garlic, scallion and Chinese onion.
> The onion is a biennial or a perennial plant.

Complete answer:
In order to solve this question, we need to know more about Allium cepa.
Allium cepa: Allium cepa, commonly known as onion, is a worldwide culinary and therapeutic spice belonging to the family Liliaceous.
Onion is an essential ingredient in many African sauces and Egypt being the first producer in the continent.
Onion is a source of various biologically active compounds, such as phenolic acids, thiosulfinates, and flavonoids etc.
The plant has a variety of pharmacological activities including anticancer, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, cardiovascular, antioxidant effects, etc., justifying its possible use in the treatment of various human ailments.
> Edible parts: Edible parts are those parts of the plant which are edible or which can be eaten like stem, leaves etc.
> Non edible parts: Non edible parts are those parts of the plant which can not be eaten.
> Edible swollen part of Allium cepa is leaf bases.
Onion (Allium cepa) is a short, modified and underground stem covered by fleshy modified leaves that contain stored food for the shoot.
Therefore the edible part of the onion is fleshy leaves.
> Aerial stem: A stem with a vertical growth above the ground.
> Underground Stem: Underground stems are modified plants that originate from stem tissue but exist under the soil surface.
> Internodes: A part of a plant stem between two nodes.
> Leaf bases: The leaf base is the lowest part of a leaf lamina that is near the petiole.

So, the correct option is option D. Leaf bases.

Note: Flower is a reproductive part of the plant found in angiosperms.
Flower has two types of symmetries:
1. Actinomorphic (Radial symmetry).
2. Zygomorphic (Bilateral symmetry).
Parts of flower are:
1. Calyx
2. Corolla
3. Pedicle
4. Gynoecium
5. Androecium