Question

In India, the largest herbarium is located in

1. Dehradun
2. Delhi
3. Lucknow
4. Kolkata

Answer 1

Hint: Herbariums are necessary to keep an account of all types of flora present all around the world

Complete answer:
India’s largest herbarium is located in Kolkata, in Shibpur.
Herbarium is a store house of collected plant species that are dried, pressed and preserved on sheets. These sheets are then arranged according to a system of classification as accepted by the University. The herbarium sheets carry a label providing information about date and place of collection of the specimen. English, local and botanical names, family and collector’s names are mentioned. Herbariums serve as a quick referral system in taxonomic studies.
The Central National Herbarium (CAL), popularly known as CNH or Calcutta herbarium, is one of the oldest and largest herbaria in the world. Dr. William Roxburgh, the first regular Superintendent of the East India Company’s Garden at Shibpur, Howrah established this herbarium.
So the correct answer is Kolkata.

Notes:

Botanical Gardens are also used to preserve and conserve flora, except that unlike herbariums, botanical gardens have living species.
It is necessary to conserve flora to maintain the ecological balance, and they have huge economical value as well.
Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, England is the world’s largest herbarium and botanical garden.