Consider the following pairs : Plant Description I. Cassava : Woody shrub II. Ginger : Herb with pseudostem III. Malabar spinach : Herbaceous climber IV. Mint : Annual shrub V. Papaya : Woody shrub How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
- (a) Only two
- (b) Only three ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Only four
- (d) All the five
Why the answer is (b)
• Cassava (tapioca) is a woody perennial shrub grown for its starchy tuberous roots — pair I is correct.
• Ginger is a herbaceous perennial whose 'stem' above ground is a pseudostem formed by tightly rolled leaf sheaths, like banana and turmeric — pair II is correct.
• Malabar spinach (Basella alba, poi) is a soft-stemmed herbaceous climbing vine — pair III is correct.
• Mint is a perennial herb spreading by runners, not an annual shrub, so pair IV is wrong; papaya, despite its size, is a soft-stemmed giant herb rather than a woody shrub, so pair V is wrong.
• Hence three pairs are correctly matched, option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) Only two
- Three pairs (I, II, III) are correct, not two.
- (c) Only four
- Pairs IV (mint) and V (papaya) are both wrong, so the count is three, not four.
- (d) All the five
- Mint is not an annual shrub and papaya is not a woody shrub.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.