Botany Final

Question 1

Tobacco (Nicotiana)

Answer 1

Nicotine accumulates in upper leaves; acts as natural insecticide. Curing affects flavor/aroma.

Question 2

Coca (Erythroxylum coca)

Answer 2

Leaves ~1% cocaine. Traditional use: altitude/work aid. Local anesthetic.

Question 3

Opium Poppy

Answer 3

Latex from capsule contains >50 alkaloids (e.g., morphine, codeine). Affects CNS.

Question 4

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa)

Answer 4

Only non-pollinated pistillate flowers yield THC-rich resin from glandular trichomes.

Question 5

Morning Glory

Answer 5

Aztecs used seeds with lysergic acid derivatives as hallucinogens.

Question 6

Peyote

Answer 6

Spineless cactus with hallucinogenic alkaloid mescaline.

Question 7

Jimsonweed

Answer 7

Contains toxic alkaloids. Datura = ‘poison’ in Sanskrit.

Question 8

Poisonous Plant Strategy

Answer 8

Plants deter herbivores via toxins (e.g., tomatine in tomatoes, locoweed).

Question 9

Types of Toxic Compounds

Answer 9

Alkaloids (e.g., taxine), glycosides (oleander), cyanide (cassava), ricin (castor bean).

Question 10

Milder Toxins & Allergens

Answer 10

Oxalic acid (rhubarb), tannins (potato), urushiol (poison ivy), pollen (hay fever).

Question 11

Cotton

Answer 11

Most important global fiber. Surface fiber, high cellulose, ginning process used.

Question 12

Kapok

Answer 12

Seed fiber, light and waterproof. Used in upholstery, life vests.

Question 13

Milkweed

Answer 13

Seed fiber, used for packing due to light, dispersal-friendly fibers.

Question 14

Hemp

Answer 14

Bast fiber. Used for textiles, rope, insulation. Extracted by retting.

Question 15

Flax

Answer 15

Bast fiber. Used to make linen. Extracted via retting.

Question 16

Sisal

Answer 16

Leaf fiber from Agave. Requires decortication. Used in ropes and brushes.

Question 17

Piña

Answer 17

Leaf fiber from pineapple. Used in fine textiles.

Question 18

Luffa

Answer 18

Fruit fiber used as natural sponge or scrubber.

Question 19

Scientific Name

Answer 19

Common Name

Question 20

Nicotiana tabacum / N. rustica

Answer 20

Tobacco

Question 21

Erythroxylum coca

Answer 21

Coca

Question 22

Papaver somniferum

Answer 22

Opium Poppy

Question 23

Cannabis sativa

Answer 23

Marijuana / Hemp

Question 24

Ipomoea spp.

Answer 24

Morning Glory

Question 25

Lophophora williamsii

Answer 25

Peyote

Question 26

Datura stramonium

Answer 26

Jimsonweed

Question 27

Delphinium spp.

Answer 27

Larkspur

Question 28

Astragalus spp.

Answer 28

Locoweed

Question 29

Taxus spp.

Answer 29

Yew

Question 30

Ranunculus spp.

Answer 30

Buttercups

Question 31

Nerium oleander

Answer 31

Oleander

Question 32

Convallaria majalis

Answer 32

Lily of the Valley

Question 33

Manihot esculenta

Answer 33

Cassava

Question 34

Phaseolus lunatus

Answer 34

Lima Beans

Question 35

Ricinus communis

Answer 35

Castor Bean

Question 36

Rheum spp.

Answer 36

Rhubarb

Question 37

Solanum tuberosum

Answer 37

Potato

Question 38

Toxicodendron radicans

Answer 38

Poison Ivy

Question 39

Gossypium hirsutum

Answer 39

American Upland Cotton

Question 40

Gossypium barbadense

Answer 40

Sea Island Cotton

Question 41

Ceiba pentandra

Answer 41

Kapok

Question 42

Cannabis sativa

Answer 42

Hemp

Question 43

Linum usitatissimum

Answer 43

Flax

Question 44

Agave sisalana / A. fourcroydes

Answer 44

Sisal

Question 45

Ananas comosus

Answer 45

Piña (Pineapple fiber)

Question 46

Luffa aegyptiaca

Answer 46

Luffa (sponge gourd)

Question 47

What part of the plant does bast fiber come from?

Answer 47

Phloem tissue of dicot stems

Question 48

What is the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana?

Answer 48

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

Question 49

What process removes cotton fibers from seeds?

Answer 49

Ginning

Question 50

What is retting?

Answer 50

A microbial process used to extract bast fibers by rotting soft stem tissue

Question 51

What is decortication?

Answer 51

Scraping away unwanted tissue from leaves to retain fibers

Question 52

Which toxic compound is found in cassava and needs to be removed?

Answer 52

Cyanide

Question 53

Which compound in poison ivy causes skin irritation?

Answer 53

Urushiol oil

Question 54

What type of plant produces both staminate and pistillate flowers on separate individuals?

Answer 54

Dioecious plants

Question 55

Who is considered the 'Grandfather of Toxicology'?

Answer 55

Paracelsus

Question 56

What is the famous quote by Paracelsus about toxicity?

Answer 56

“The dose makes the poison.”

Question 57

Why do plants produce toxic compounds?

Answer 57

To deter herbivores and reduce predation

Question 58

What makes kapok fibers suitable for life vests?

Answer 58

They are lightweight and waterproof

Question 59

What is the main use of flax fibers?

Answer 59

Linen cloth production

Question 60

Which plant fiber was historically used to make the original jeans?

Answer 60

Hemp

Question 61

What compound makes rhubarb leaves mildly toxic?

Answer 61

Oxalic acid