Question

Cloves are obtained from
a) Erupted styles
b) Inflorescence
c) True fruits
d) Unopened flower buds

Answer 1

Hint : Syzygium aromaticum is a tree that is native to Indonesia and belongs to the plant family Myrtaceae. Cloves are the small axillary or terminal protuberance of this plant and are used as spices.

Complete answer :
On the Maluku Island in Indonesia, a plant Syzygium aromaticum is found that has aromatic rudimentary inflorescence in the form of an axillary or terminal protuberance. These rudimentary inflorescences are the unopened flower buds of this plant and are the sources of cloves.

Additional information
It is an evergreen tree that can grow up to a height of 12 meters and bears crimson-coloured flowers that are grouped in the clusters. The flower buds are initially pale yellow but they turn green on further development and at the time of harvesting, these are bright red. The cloves from this plant are harvested when the buds are about 2 centimetres in length. These buds have a long calyx that has four spreading sepals with four unopened petals that give the appearance of a small central ball. The dried cloves look like the image below –

Note : Although cloves are generally used as spices, they also have medicinal use and are used in traditional medicine in the form of essential oils. A chemical compound anodyne is found in the essential oils obtained from cloves that acts as an analgesic agent and is mainly used for dental emergencies and other similar disorders. Besides being used as analgesics, the essential oils from the cloves are also broadly employed in aromatherapy.