Unit 3. Classification of vegetables and fruits

Question 1

Classification of vegetables

Answer 1

Different methods of classification followed in vegetables are:
1. Botanical classification
2. Classification based on life cycle
3. Classification based on plant parts used
4. Classification based on hardiness
5. Classification based on season of cultivation
6. Classification by Cultural Methods

Question 2

Botanical classification:

Answer 2

Monocotyledonous:
Amaryllidaceae – Onion, Garlic, Leak, Shallot, Chive.
Liliaceae – Asparagus
Araceae – Colocasia esculenta
Diascoreaceae – Yam
B. Dicotyledonous plants (vegetables):
Chenopodiaceae – Palak, Beetroot, Spinach
Compositae – Lettuce,
Convolvulaceae – Sweet potato.
Brassicaceae – Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels, Cole rabi or knol-khol, radish, mustard.
Cucurbitaceae – All cucurbitaceous vegetables
Euphorbiaceae: Tapioca (Manihot esculenta)
Leguminosae : Pea (Pisum sativum), French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris),
Malvaceae: Okra (Bendi)
Solanaceae: Potato (Solanum tuberosum), Brinjal (Solanum melongena), Tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum), Chillies (Capsicum annum)
Umbelliferae: Carrot, parsley**

Question 3

Classification based on the life cycle

Answer 3

All vegetables can be classified into three group’s viz. annuals, biennials and perennials, depending upon the time required to complete their life cycle.
a. Annual Vegetables
-Plants which completes its life cycle within one season.
E.g. Tomato, Brinjal, Okra
b. Biennial Vegetables
-These plants requires two years or at least two growing seasons.
E.g. Turnip, Carrot, Cabbage, onion etc.
c. Perennial Vegetables
-Any plants that lives more than two years.
E.g. Sweet potato, Garlic, Ginger

Question 4

Classification based on Plant parts used

Answer 4

1. Leafy vegetables: Amaranthus, Cabbage and Palak
2. Fruits: Tomato, Brinjal, Bhendi, Peas, Beans, Cucurbits
3. Flower parts: Cauliflower and Broccoli
4. Underground parts:
   a) Stem tubers: Potato and colocasia
   b) Root tubers: Carrot, Sweet potato and Tapioca
   c) Bulbs: Onion and garlic

Question 5

Classification based on season of cultivation

Answer 5

This is one of the most important classifications from the grower’s point of view since majority of vegetables are season bound and specific to particular seasons. Vegetables are classified into summer season crops, rainy season crops and winter season crops based on growth and production during particular seasons.

a. Cool season Vegetables
 Optimum temperature 12 and 20oC can withstand temperatures as low as 1oC during the juvenile period.
 Green peas, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and spinach are all ‘cold hardy’ crops.

b. Warm season Vegetables
 Optimum temperature 18-28oC
 Beans, cucumber, eggplant, okra, pepper, summer squash, watermelon, and tomatoes are all ‘warm season crops’.
c. Rainy season crops
 Bhendi, chilli, brinjal, cluster been, cowpea etc.

Question 6

Classification based on Hardiness

Answer 6

This classification is based on ability to withstand frost and low temperature and it will be useful to know season of cultivation of a crop. Here the vegetable crops are classified into hardy, semi hardy and tender. Hardy vegetables tolerate frost and low temperature and are basically winter or cool season or temperate vegetables. Warm season or subtropical or tropical vegetables are considered as tender since they cannot withstand frost. Temperate vegetables, in general, can be stored for long periods under low temperature. Tropical vegetables are bulky and more perishable compared to temperate vegetables.

Hardy
Asparagus, Brocolli, cabbage, Radish, Garlic, Onion, Peas, spinach, turnip
Semi- Hardy
lettuce, carrot, Beetroot, cauliflower,
Tender
cucurbits, snapbean, Brinjal, tomatoes, Brinjal, cluster beans

Question 7

Classification by Cultural Methods

Answer 7

This is a very convenient method. In this method all the crops that have similar cultural requirements are grouped together. Therefore it is possible to recommend general cultural practices for all vegetables, which are grouped together. Some groups like cucurbits, cold crops, bulb crops are not only have similar cultural requirements for the group but the crops in each group belong to same family. The groups like greens, salad crops, bulb crops, the parts edible in each group are also same.
Therefore this system of classification has been found to be more satisfactory understanding the principles of vegetable growing than any other methods.
**Perennials- asparagus, Artichoke,
rootcrops- radish, Turnip, Beetroot, parsnip
cole crops- brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower
salads
Greens
bulb crops- onion, garlic, leek, chive
tuber crops- yams, potato, cassava
pea and beans
cucurbits- cucumber, pumpkin, squash, melons, gherkins, melons
solanaceous vegetable crops- chiili, potato, brinjal, tomato

Question 8

Classification of Fruits

Answer 8

The scientific definition of a fruit is any structure that develops from a fertilized ovary and contains seeds of the plant. Fruits can be fleshy like tomatoes or peaches, or they can be dry like coconuts or peanuts. They can have many seeds in them like tomatoes, papaya and watermelon, or they can have one single seed in them like avocados, almonds and cherries. They can be very large, like jackfruit, pineapples and pumpkins, or very small, like blueberries, raspberries and grapes. The diversity among fruits can be classified based on following:
1. Based on climatic requirements
2. Based on fruit type
3. Based on ripening behavior
4. Based on leaf fall

Question 9

Based on Climatic Requirements

Answer 9

Based on the different climatic requirements for cultivation, fruits can be:
a. Tropical region
 Region having no distinct winter and summer with high rainfall and don’t have sharp difference between day and night temperature.
Major fruit crops: - Banana, pineapple, jackfruit, mango, coconut and papaya
b. Sub-Tropical region
 Regions with distinct winter and summers seasons.
Major fruit crops: Guava, mango, banana.
c. Temperate region
 Fruit trees with chilling requirement and remain dormant for 2-3months.
Major fruit crops: Apple, pear, plum, peaches, etc.

Question 10

Based on the Fruit Type

Answer 10

Fruits can be simple, aggregate or multiple:
Simple fruits: - one fruit that has developed from one single flower. Most fruits are simple fruits, for example apples, pears, tomatoes, peaches, and cherries.

Aggregate fruits: - one flower that produces many tiny fruits clustered tightly together, like raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. (NOTE: in strawberries, the fruits are actually the seed-like things on the outside of the flesh, the flesh itself is not the ovary but swollen receptacle tissue).

Multiple fruits: - fruits from many different flowers which develop closely together to form one bigger fruit, like pineapples, breadfruit and mulberries.

Question 11

different types of Fruit

Fruits classifications on simple, aggregate and multiple

Answer 11

Achene- A small, dry fruit with a thinm close fitting wall around a single seed.
examples- sunflower seeds and straw berries
Berry- a fleshy frut with many seeds inside. The outside of the berry fruit may be soft or hard and leathery.
examples- tomatoes, orangesm kiwi, water melons, cucumbers, grapes, blueberries, cran berries, passion fruit, papaya, peppers, even bananas.

Caryopsis(Grain)- corn, rice, wheat, oat, barley, rye, and most other grasses
Drupe- a fleshy fruit with a hard pit inside which contains the seed, the outside of the drupe is usually soft. examples- peach, plum,cherry, coconut, olive, mango, blackberries, raspberries(aggreagate drupes) mulberries(multiple drupes).

Legume- a dry fruit that is long and thin but has several seeds inside lined up in row when opened- examples are all the beansm also peas, peanuts and tamarind.

Nut- a dry fruit with a thick often wood like shell surrounding a single seed.( almonds are the pit of a dry drupe)
examples are chest nuts, hazel nuts, acorns and beechnuts

simple- berries(grapes) , hesperidiums( oranges and lemons) , pepos( mel

Question 12

Based on ripening behavior

Answer 12

A. Climacteric fruit
Those fruits which experience a sudden increase in the rate of respiration and ethylene production at the time of ripening. E.g. mango, guava, papaya, etc.

B. Non-Climacteric fruit
Fruits which experience small decline in respiration rate at the time of ripening and ethylene production rate remains at low level.
E.g. Mandarin, grapes, cherry

Question 13

Based on leaf fall

Answer 13

Evergreen fruit trees
Fruit trees who do not shed their all leaves at one time.
E.g. Mango, Citrus, jackfruit, etc.

B. Deciduous fruit trees
Fruit trees who shed their all leaves once in a year.
E.g. Apple, Peach, Plum, etc.

Question 14

Classifications of ornamental plants

Answer 14

Non flowering
a. Spore bearing- mosses(no roots) , ferns( with roots)
b. Naked seeds- Gymnosperms( Pine cones)

FLowering
a. Angiosperms
Monocotyledons(grasses)
b. Dicotyledons( Trees, flowers)

Question 15

Classification of Ornamental Plants

Answer 15

Herb/ Herbaceous plants
The plants which have the soft and succulent stem and have no wood but will have fibers are known as herbaceous plants e.g., Marigold, Zinnia, Petunia, Dahlia, Hollyhock, Tuberose, Chrysanthemum, Cosmos, Corn flower, Periwinkle.

b. Shrub These are medium size bushy plants with several hard and woody stem and bear a lot of branches from the base of the stem to present a bushy appearance without having any clear trunk e.g., Rose, China rose, Allamanda, Ixora, Gardenia, Night jasmine, Changeable rose.

c. Semi-shrub: The plants which are softly woody and bushy in nature are known as semi- shrub plant e.g., Areca palm, Bamboo, Royal palm.

d. Tree: The plants which have well defined woody branches with a clear trunk are called trees e.g., Pea cock, Kadamba, Shirish, Acacia, Bakul, Michelia, Magnolia, Ashoke, Camel’s foot, Ironwood tree.

e. Vine/ Climbers: The plants which have the weak stem and have the climbing or creeping stem that cannot stand erectly

Question 16

Classification based on life cycle( ornamental plants)

Answer 16

Annual: The plants which complete their life cycle within a year are known as annuals e.g., Dahlia, Cosmos, Marigold, Poppy, Dianthus, Cock’s comb, Chrysanthemum etc.

2. Biennial: The plants which complete their life cycle more than one year and less than two years are known as biennials e.g., Tuberose, Gladiolus, Day lily etc.
3. Perennial: The plants which do not die after completing their life cycle and continue to complete life cycle every year are termed as perennials e.g., Peacock flower, Ixora, Jasmine, Gardenia, Night jasmine etc.
4. Based on leaf characteristics of ornamental plants
5. Evergreen ornamental plant: The plants which do not shed their leaves at any time of the year and bear leaves all the time throughout the year is known as evergreen plants e.g., Thuja, Aurocaria, Pine, Croton etc.
6. Deciduous ornamental plants: The plants which shed their leaves in a particular season of the year are called deciduous plants e.g., Peacock, Pagoda tree, Mussaenda etc.

Question 17

Based on growing season( ornamental plants)

Answer 17

1. Winter season flower: The flowers which are grown during the winter months i.e., the plants which are planted in September to December and produce flower from October to March are known as winter flower e.g., Dahlia, Chrysanthemum, Marigold, Cosmos, Dianthus, Aster, Holy hock, Poppy etc.
2. Summer season flower: The plants which are planted in March to June and flower during the period from April to September are called summer season flower e.g., Cock’s comb, Balsam, summer cosmos, Globe amaranth etc.
3. All season flowers: Such type of flowers can be grown either in the summer or in the winter season e.g., Zinnia, Tuberose etc.

Question 18

Classification based on uses (ornamental plants)

Answer 18

Classification based on uses
Flowering trees: The trees which are well known for their beautiful flowers and are suitable for garden e.g., Pea cock flower, Cadamba, Bauhinia, May flower etc.

2. Ornamental trees: The trees which are attractive for their beautiful leaves and branches e.g., Shirish, Eucalyptus, Mahogini etc
3. Lilies: The flowering plants which are propagated by the underground modified stem are called lilies e.g., Tuberose, Gladiolus, Day lily, Daffodil etc.
4. The Palms: The plants under the family Palmaceae are called palms. They have long stem having no branch with a bushy leaf top e.g., Areca palm, Bottle palm, Fan leaved palm, Fish tail palm, Cabbage palm, Coconut palm, Date palm etc.
5. Orchid: The plants of this group belong to the family Orchidaceae. The plants are mainly parasites grow on dead plants or plants, some even grow on ground e.g., Vanda, Cattleya, Vanilla, Dendrobium orchid, Fox tail orchid, Spider orchid, Cymbidium orchid etc.
6. Fern: These are non-flowering herbaceous plants belong to the family Polypodiaceae. Their position in the plant kingdom is under Cryptogam. They grow in humid and shady place e.g., Sword fern, Maiden hair fern, Asplenium, Gleichenia, Pteris, Trichomanes etc.
7. Aquatic ornamental plants: These are beautiful plants which are hydrophytic in nature grown in ponds or marshy lands e.g., Water lily, Lotus, Giant lily, Water hyacinth etc.