SSC Stenographer 2026 – 10 September 2026 Shift 3 · Plant kingdom groups (Thallophyta to Angiosperms)
Q1. Which plant family is most important for pulses and protein-rich crops in Indian agriculture?
- (a) Poaceae
- (b) Fabaceae
- (c) Solanaceae
- (d) Brassicaceae
Answer & solution
Answer: (b) Fabaceae
Answer: Option 2 — Fabaceae
Fabaceae, also called Leguminosae, is the pea or legume family, and it supplies almost every pulse grown in India — gram, tur, urad, moong, masoor, pea and soybean.
These seeds are the country's chief source of plant protein.
Revision note — Fabaceae and the major crop families
• Fabaceae (Leguminosae) is the third largest family of flowering plants; its fruit is a legume (pod) and its flower is typically papilionaceous, shaped like a butterfly.
• Legume roots bear root nodules containing Rhizobium bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen — this is why pulses are sown in rotation with cereals to restore soil fertility.
• Examples: gram (Cicer arietinum), pigeon pea or tur (Cajanus cajan), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), soybean (Glycine max), fenugreek or methi (Trigonella foenum-graecum).
• Poaceae (Gramineae) is the grass family — rice, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, sugarcane, bamboo; its fruit is a caryopsis.
• Solanaceae is the potato or nightshade family — potato, tomato, brinjal, chilli, tobacco.
• Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) is the mustard family — mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, turnip.
• India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses; Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan lead in output.
Do not mix these up
• Fabaceae vs Poaceae — pulses and plant protein come from Fabaceae; cereals and grains come from Poaceae.
• Pulses vs cereals — pulses are the dried edible seeds of legumes and are protein-rich; cereals are grass grains and are carbohydrate-rich.
Also asked from this topic: the nutrient legumes replenish before a wheat crop (nitrogen); the bacterium of legume root nodules (Rhizobium); the family of fenugreek (Fabaceae).
Fabaceae, also called Leguminosae, is the pea or legume family, and it supplies almost every pulse grown in India — gram, tur, urad, moong, masoor, pea and soybean.
These seeds are the country's chief source of plant protein.
Revision note — Fabaceae and the major crop families
• Fabaceae (Leguminosae) is the third largest family of flowering plants; its fruit is a legume (pod) and its flower is typically papilionaceous, shaped like a butterfly.
• Legume roots bear root nodules containing Rhizobium bacteria, which fix atmospheric nitrogen — this is why pulses are sown in rotation with cereals to restore soil fertility.
• Examples: gram (Cicer arietinum), pigeon pea or tur (Cajanus cajan), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), soybean (Glycine max), fenugreek or methi (Trigonella foenum-graecum).
• Poaceae (Gramineae) is the grass family — rice, wheat, maize, bajra, jowar, sugarcane, bamboo; its fruit is a caryopsis.
• Solanaceae is the potato or nightshade family — potato, tomato, brinjal, chilli, tobacco.
• Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) is the mustard family — mustard, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, turnip.
• India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses; Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan lead in output.
Do not mix these up
• Fabaceae vs Poaceae — pulses and plant protein come from Fabaceae; cereals and grains come from Poaceae.
• Pulses vs cereals — pulses are the dried edible seeds of legumes and are protein-rich; cereals are grass grains and are carbohydrate-rich.
Also asked from this topic: the nutrient legumes replenish before a wheat crop (nitrogen); the bacterium of legume root nodules (Rhizobium); the family of fenugreek (Fabaceae).