Question

The botanical name of the vegetable, lady’s finger is
A. Abelmoschus esculentus
B. Hibiscus esculentus
C. Both of (a) and (b)
D. Hibiscus cannabinus

Answer 1

A botanical name is a formal name that is based on the scientific nomenclature based on a formal coding given by concerned institutions. The botanical name is a formal name and is accepted worldwide. It is used to identify a particular plant or group of plants. Lady’s finger is an important and popular vegetable also called okra in common language.

Complete answer:
Lady's finger is a flowering plant belonging to the family of Malvaceae. The family is a small family having wildflowers, hairy stems and it generally comprises herbs, shrubs, and tree species. It includes plants cocoa, durian, hibiscus, okra, etc. the characteristic feature of the Malvaceae plant is simple hair of young pats of the plant, solitary inflorescence, actinomorphic flower with epicalyx, free corolla and indefinite Monadelphous stamens, syncarpous, multilocular superior ovary.
Abelmoschus is the name given to the hibiscus genus with fifteen different species in it including okra. These species are categorized into annual and perennial herbs and shrubs with characteristic hair on the various parts of the plant. The flowers have a red-pink spot on the funnel-shaped corolla. These plants alternate stipulate leaves with the petiole and the ovary are monocular and the anther is uniocular.
Lady's finger has the scientific name Abelmoschus esculentus or it can also be called Hibiscus esculentus.
Therefore, option (a) and (b) are both correct.
Hibiscus cannabinus is the kenaf plant which also belongs to the Malvaceae family. It is also known as Deccan hemp and Java jute. Therefore, this is not the correct answer, option (d) is wrong.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: There is always confusion between the two names of the lady’s finger. This should always be kept in mind before answering this question that the earlier name was Hibiscus esculentus. But recently, Abelmoschus is the name given to the family containing fifteen species. That is the reason why okra or lady's finger has two names.