Session 5: Cultivation of Crossandra
Unit 2: Cultivation of Commercial FlowerCrops-II
Textual Question-Answers
Check Your Progress
A. Fill in the Blanks
1. Crossandra is commonly known as ……………
Ans: Kanakambaram
2. A high-yielding variety of Crossandra is ………………
Ans: Kanakadhara
3. Seed rate of crossandra is ……………… per hectare.
Ans: 3 kg
4. Triploid crossandras can be propagated by ………………
Ans: layering
5. Crossandra commences flowering after ……………… days ofplanting.
Ans: 60–75
6. Crossandra flowers are ……………… sensitive.
Ans: ethylene
B. Multiple Choice Questions
1. Crossandra belongs to ……………… family.
(a) Asteraceae
(b) Rosaceae
(c) Acanthaceae
(d) Iridaceae
Ans: (c)
2. Among the following, which one is the native place of Crossandra?(a) Asia
(b) Europe
(c) Australia
(d) Mexico
Ans: (a)
3. Which of the following climates is suitable for Crossandra growing?
(a) Temperate
(b) Tropical
(c) Sub-tropical
(d) All the above
Ans: (b)
4. Mona Wallhead variety of Crossandra was introduced in Indiafrom which country?
(a) USA
(b) Brazil
(c) Sweden
(d) Sri Lanka
Ans: (c)
5. Crossandra is planted at spacing of ………………
(a) 20 × 20 cm
(b) 30 × 30 cm
(c) 50 × 50 cm
(d) 75 × 75 cm
Ans: (b)
6. Shelf life of Crossandra flower is ………………
(a) 2–3 days
(b) 5–6 days
(c) 7–8 days
(d) 9–10 days
Ans: (a)
C. Subjective Questions
1. What is the importance of the crossandra flower?
Ans: Crossandra flowers are widely used for garlands, hair decoration, religious offerings, and loose flower markets due to their bright colour andgood keeping quality.
2. How is propagation of crossandra done through seeds?
Ans: Seeds are sown in nursery beds or trays and transplanted to the mainfield after seedlings attain sufficient growth.
3. How is ground layering done in crossandra?
Ans: Ground layering is done by bending healthy shoots to the ground, covering a portion with soil, and allowing roots to develop before detachingfrom the mother plant.
4. How is planting of crossandra done?
Ans: Seedlings or rooted layers are planted in well-prepared beds at recommended spacing followed by irrigation.
5. Describe flower harvesting of crossandra.
Ans: Flowers are harvested daily in the early morning by hand pickingwhen they are fully open.
D. Match the Columns
Ans:
1. Kanakadhara — (d) Dense green foliage
2. Raj Kanakambaram — (c) Gamma irradiation
3. Subasu — (b) Chemical mutagenesis (sodium azide)
4. Neelambari — (a) A leaf-variegated mutant
5. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam — (e) Long inflorescences
