Posted by David Hare-Scott on December 18, 2009, 6:55 pm
I made this up for my own amusement and to annoy my family over Christmas
dinner so thought I might share. One or two questions are in nearly every
trivia list to do with fruits and vegetables. One or two are quite arcane.
If you know six or more you are probably an experienced gardener. If you
know them all without peeking at a reference you probably have a garden a
bit like mine and read the same books. Enjoy.
(1) Most fruits and vegetables shed their seeds from fruits or pods before
the seed germinates and the seed then germinates in or on the ground. Name
one that has seeds that regularly germinate inside the fruit.
(2) Which common fruit has its seeds on the outside?
(3) Which two common vegetables that are grown for eating different parts of
the plant are the same species?
(4) Name three common edible plants, whose edible part is not a fruit, that
are usually grown as perennials.
(5) Since potatoes are grown from seed potatoes (tubers) which are the same
as the parent how is it possible to breed new varieties of potato?
(6) Which member of the citrus family has fruit that are often enjoyed
whole, that is skin and all?
(7) There are two vegetables that have a name in common but are completely
different. What are they and which part of the plant is consumed in each
case?
(8) Bananas do not grow on trees. Explain.
(9) The chances are that you will never see the fruit of the medlar tree in
your supermarket because it has not been developed as a commercial crop like
its relatives the apple and pear. Why?
(10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial or jam.
What part of the plant is so used?
David
Posted by gunner on December 18, 2009, 11:50 pm
>I made this up for my own amusement and to annoy my family over Christmas
>dinner so thought I might share. One or two questions are in nearly every
>trivia list to do with fruits and vegetables. One or two are quite arcane.
>If you know six or more you are probably an experienced gardener. If you
>know them all without peeking at a reference you probably have a garden a
>bit like mine and read the same books. Enjoy.
> (10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial or
> jam. What part of the plant is so used?
I will take #10 for 300, Alex,... that would be the flower aka, Hibiscus
rosa sabdariffa.
Posted by gunner on December 18, 2009, 11:52 pm
>>I made this up for my own amusement and to annoy my family over Christmas
>>dinner so thought I might share. One or two questions are in nearly every
>>trivia list to do with fruits and vegetables. One or two are quite
>>arcane. If you know six or more you are probably an experienced gardener.
>>If you know them all without peeking at a reference you probably have a
>>garden a bit like mine and read the same books. Enjoy.
>>
>> (10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial or
>> jam. What part of the plant is so used?
>>
> I will take #10 for 300, Alex,... that would be the flower aka, Hibiscus
> rosa sabdariffa.
Correction: what is the flower Hibiscus rosa sabdariffa.
Posted by Suzanne D. on December 19, 2009, 5:35 pm
I'll give it a go, before reading anyone else's responses.
> (1) Most fruits and vegetables shed their seeds from fruits or pods before
> the seed germinates and the seed then germinates in or on the ground. Name
> one that has seeds that regularly germinate inside the fruit.
I can't wait to see the answers on this because I have no idea, and this
sounds intriguing. Watch it end up being something really obvious that
everyone else knows.
> (2) Which common fruit has its seeds on the outside?
Strawberry.
> (3) Which two common vegetables that are grown for eating different parts
> of the plant are the same species?
Carrot and dill? I know they are related, but I don't know if they are the
same species. Or cabbage and broccoli?
> (4) Name three common edible plants, whose edible part is not a fruit,
> that are usually grown as perennials.
Artichoke, asparagus, horseradish.
> (5) Since potatoes are grown from seed potatoes (tubers) which are the
> same as the parent how is it possible to breed new varieties of potato?
Don't know.
> (6) Which member of the citrus family has fruit that are often enjoyed
> whole, that is skin and all?
Kumquats.
> (7) There are two vegetables that have a name in common but are completely
> different. What are they and which part of the plant is consumed in each
> case?
Radish and horseradish? The root is eaten in both cases.
> (8) Bananas do not grow on trees. Explain.
Bananas are herbs.
> (9) The chances are that you will never see the fruit of the medlar tree
> in your supermarket because it has not been developed as a commercial crop
> like its relatives the apple and pear. Why?
Because it has to ferment before it is eaten, and this would be hard to
gauge commercially?
> (10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial or
> jam. What part of the plant is so used?
The petals?
Good questions. I look forward to learning how well I did on the quiz!
--S.
Posted by David Hare-Scott on December 20, 2009, 4:56 pm
These are the answers that I know. In some cases there are probably more
examples than I have given that would be correct.
> (1) Most fruits and vegetables shed their seeds from fruits or pods
> before the seed germinates and the seed then germinates in or on the
> ground. Name one that has seeds that regularly germinate inside the
> fruit.
Choko (alligator pear, chayote, Sechium edule), coconut.
> (2) Which common fruit has its seeds on the outside?
Everyone knows this one: strawberry
> (3) Which two common vegetables that are grown for eating different
> parts of the plant are the same species?
The may be more but I had in mind beet (beetroot, sugarbeet) and Swiss chard
(chard, silverbeet) which are both Beta vulgaris, they are generally grown
for the root and the leaf respectively but obviously you can eat both parts
of both. An interesting example of cultivars derived by selective breeding.
> (4) Name three common edible plants, whose edible part is not a
> fruit, that are usually grown as perennials.
Rhubarb, asparagus, globe artichoke. If you want to include herbs and
spices, horseradish and many others.
> (5) Since potatoes are grown from seed potatoes (tubers) which are
> the same as the parent how is it possible to breed new varieties of
> potato?
A bit of a trick question - sorry. New varieties are bred by cross
pollination and selection from plants grown from seed. Just because the
flowers and seeds are insignificant and they are usually grown from tubers
doesn't mean they have to be.
> (6) Which member of the citrus family has fruit that are often enjoyed
> whole, that is skin and all?
Kumquat or cumquat. Although I have a horse that eats oranges whole.
> (7) There are two vegetables that have a name in common but are
> completely different. What are they and which part of the plant is
> consumed in each case?
Globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) a thistle whose the immature flower
buds are eaten and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) a sunflower
where you eat the tuber.
> (8) Bananas do not grow on trees. Explain.
The bananas plant is a herbaceous flowering plant whose stem is rolled
leaves. It does not have any woody tissue like a tree and botanically it is
not a tree.
> (9) The chances are that you will never see the fruit of the medlar
> tree in your supermarket because it has not been developed as a
> commercial crop like its relatives the apple and pear. Why?
The fruit must be bletted before it is eaten which means ripened to the
point of softness. When ripened like this the flesh appears brown and pulpy
which is usually associated with rotten or very overripe fruit. It is a
matter of definition whether it is rotten or just looks like it. The
texture is unattractive and they are not a great joy to eat raw. However,
they make excellent brilliant orange-red jelly which smells like a spiced
apple. Given the emphasis on appearance in supermarket fruits I cannot see
medlars ever making it there.
> (10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial
> or jam. What part of the plant is so used?
The calyx of the flowers.
David
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>dinner so thought I might share. One or two questions are in nearly every
>trivia list to do with fruits and vegetables. One or two are quite arcane.
>If you know six or more you are probably an experienced gardener. If you
>know them all without peeking at a reference you probably have a garden a
>bit like mine and read the same books. Enjoy.
> (10) The rosella can be made into an unusual vibrant purple cordial or
> jam. What part of the plant is so used?