NEETBotanyPlant Kingdom
Why is it problematic to give equal weight to vegetative and sexual characteristics in classification systems?
Options
- AVegetative characters are unaffected by the environment.
- BSexual characteristics are less reliable.
- CVegetative characters are often more affected by the environment.
- DBoth types of characteristics are equally stable.
Correct answer
C. Vegetative characters are often more affected by the environment.
Step-by-step solution
The earliest systems of classification used only gross superficial morphological characters such as habit, color, number and shape of leaves, etc. They were based mainly on vegetative characters or on the androecium structure (system given by Linnaeus). Such systems were artificial; they separated the closely related species since they were based on a few characteristics. Also, the artificial systems gave equal weightage to vegetative and sexual characteristics; this is not acceptable since we know that often the v