Question

Leaves of ferns are covered with
A. Ramenta
B. Spores
C. Wax
D. Indusium

Answer 1

R.H. Whittaker was the first who gave the Five Kingdom classification for living organisms. On the basis of multiple characteristics such as level of organization, mode of nutrition, body organization, mode of reproduction, phylogenetic relationship etc. he categorized living organisms in different kingdoms. These five kingdoms are named as Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.

Complete answer:
Kingdom plantae consist of eukaryotic, multicellular and autotrophic organisms i.e. include all the plants. Plants contain chloroplast and chlorophyll pigment which helps in the process of photosynthesis.
Plant kingdom has the organisms that are non-motile, autotrophs; make their own and reproduction is carried out by vegetative, asexual and sexual mode of reproduction.
The plant kingdom has been classified into five subgroups according to the plant body, vascular system, and seed formation:

Thallophyta: Thallus like body structure because of the lack of well differentiated body structures.
Bryophyta: They do not have vascular tissues, but the plant body consists of leaf-like, stem-like, root-like structures.
Pteridophyta: Well- differentiated plant body structure
Gymnosperms: Well- differentiated plant body structure with vascular system, bear naked seeds(not enclosed by fruit)
Angiosperms: having a wide variety of plants with Well- differentiated plant body structure with vascular system, seed is covered with fruit.
Fern falls under the subgroup Pteridophyta of the plant kingdom. They are considered as the first plants to be evolved on land. Pteridophyta are mainly cryptogams, seedless and vascular and having true roots, leaves and stem, reproduction is through spores, spores developed in sporangia, sporangia are produced in groups on sporophylls.
The fern’s sporangia are covered by Indusium, sporangia produce asexual spore. Ramenta is a thin chaffy scale that covers the leaves of fern. However the wax is an organic compound produced by the bee and some plants.

Thus, the correct answer is option A.

Note: Pteridophyta is further categorized into following classes:

Psilopsida: Most primitive, stem is photosynthetic and dichotomously branched, leaf absent, homosporous synangium, Rhizoids are present
Lycopsida: Known as club moss, plant body with adventitious root, stem, rhizophores and leaves homosporous or heterosporous sporophyte.
Sphenopsida: horsetail, Well-differentiated plant body with roots arising from nodes of the underground rhizome, stem and scaly leaves, Homosporous, sporangia are borne on strobili.
Pteropsida: Commonly named as a fern, having a well differentiated plant body with stem and leaves, multiflagellate Antherozoids.