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Botanical Name of Chilli is Capsicum. Botanical name of Curry Leaves is Murraya koenigii. Chillies belong to genus capsicum and nightshade family (Solanaceae). Curry leaves fall under genus Murraya and family Rutaceae. There are around 27 species under Capsicum genus. All these species vary in color, shape, and size. Chillies contain a chemical named Capsaicin. They are used for medicinal purposes. Curry leaves are often found in the Indian subcontinent.
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Key Terms: Chillies, Capsicum, Curry Leaves, Murraya Rutaceae, Capsaicin, Chiltepin Peppers, Chipotle, Murraya Koenigii, Genus
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Introduction to Chilli
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Chillies belong to the genus capsicum. Most of the members of this genus are used in cooking. Some of them have insect-repelling properties and are used as insecticides.
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Chemical called capsaicin is found in chillies which causes a burning sensation on consumption. This chemical is also used in pepper sprays. Capsaicin and related compounds are also called Capsaicinoids.
Image: Red Chillies and Green Chillies
Usage of Chilli
Chilli has domestic as well as medicinal uses. Chillies are used while cooking as entire pieces or large slices. Skin is blistered by roasting so that flesh remains uncooked. In Mexican cuisine, chillies are used as a whole. Dried whole chillies are often grind into a paste for use. Ripe jalapenos called chipotle are smoked and dried.
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Chillies are also used for making salsas (a Mexican dip). In southern Mexico, chipotle peppers and ancho are used to make mole sauce. Chiltepin peppers spice up soups and other dishes in Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa.
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In many Indian households, green chillies are used to spice up curries and dry dishes. Chillies are fried with oil in beginning of preparation. In Rajasthan and some other Indian states, Chillies are used for preparation of entire dishes. Chillies have a high nutrition value as they contain high levels of Vitamin C. Capsaicin is used as an analgesic for relief of pain. It is also used in dermal patches, topical ointments, and nasal sprays.
Image: Grounded Red Chilli
Introduction to Curry Leaves
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Botanical name of Curry Leaves is Murraya koenigii. Curry leaves fall under genus Murraya that belongs to Rutaceae family. Murraya koenigii leaves are called curry leaves as they are often used in curries.
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Curry leaves trees are native to Indian subcontinent where they are mainly grown for culinary purposes. This tree can grow in areas with abundant sunlight or even limited shade. White flowers grow on such trees and they can self pollinate. Such trees can grow up to 4 to 6 metres in height.
Image: Stems of Curry Leaves
Usage of Curry Leaves
Curry leaves are usually used in curries. Curry leaves also hold various health benefits as they are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, and calcium. They also have anti-diabetic properties and help reduce stress. Curry leaves improve circulation of blood and promote weight loss. Curry leaves also boost digestion.
Image: Health Benefits of Curry Leaves
Things to Remember
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- Botanical name of chilli is Capsicum. Chillies belong to genus capsicum and nightshade family (also known as solanaceae).
- Capsaicin is found in chillies, a chemical that creates burning sensation upon consumption. Capsaicin and related compounds are also termed as capsaicinoids.
- Chilli has medicinal uses and domestic uses in cooking preparations. They are used as entire pieces or large slices.
- Chillies have high nutritional value. They contain high levels of Vitamin C.
- Botanical name of Curry Leaves is Murraya koenigii. They come under genus Murraya and family Rutaceae.
- Murraya koenigii leaves are called curry leaves as they are often used in curries.
- Curry leaves are rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, and iron. They have anti-diabetic properties and help reduce stress.
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Sample Questions
Ques. What are the various taxonomic categories? (2 Marks)
Ans. Taxonomic arrangement includes many categories and is called taxonomic category. Classification constitutes many steps and every category acts as a unit of classification. All the taxonomic categories together constitute Taxonomic Hierarchy. Organisms are placed in different categories based on characteristics of organisms.
Taxonomic categories are Species, Genus, Family, Order, Class, Phylum, and Kingdom.
Image: Taxonomic Categories
Ques. Name some of India’s famous botanical gardens. (3 Marks)
Ans. In a Botanical garden, a wide variety of plants are collected, preserved, cultivated, and displayed. All these plants are labeled with their botanical names. It may have many special plants from different parts of the world. It contains herb gardens, succulent plants, alpine plants, exotic plants, and tropical plants.
Some of India’s most famous botanical gardens are Indian Botanical Garden (Howrah), National Botanical Research Institute (Lucknow), Lalbagh Botanical Garden (Bengaluru), Llyod's Botanical Garden (Darjeeling), and Botanical Garden of Forest Research Institute (Dehradun).
Ques. What are the domestic uses of chillies? (3 Marks)
Ans. Chillies are used for culinary purposes. Chillies are used as entire pieces or large slices. The skin is blistered by roasting so that the flesh remains uncooked. In Indian households, green chillies are kept handy. They are added in curries and dry dishes for spiciness. In Rajasthan and some other Indian states, Chillies are used for the preparation of entire dishes.
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In Mexican cuisine, chillies are used as a whole. Dried whole chillies are often grind into a paste for use. Ripe jalapenos called chipotle are smoked and dried. Chiles are used to make salsas. In southern Mexico, chipotle peppers and ancho are used to make mole sauce. Chiltepin peppers are used to spice up the cheeses, soups, and other dishes in Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa.
Image: Domestic Uses and Benefits of Chilli
Ques. Write a note on Genus. (3 Marks)
Ans. A group of related species is called Genus. Biological classification of organisms is done by using this taxonomic rank. These species have more common characteristics as compared to other species of a different genus. So, species which are closely related are called genus.
Organisms are classified into different genus by taxonomists. Genus is also known as generic name. For example, genus Panthera includes lions, tigers, and leopards as they have many common characteristics. Genus is followed by species in the hierarchy. Housefly belongs to the genus Musca. Mango belongs to genus Mangifera.
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Ques. What are universal rules of nomenclature? (3 Marks)
Ans. Following are universal rules of nomenclature:
- Biological names are written in italics and are usually derived from Latin.
- The first word in the biological name denotes genus and the second word represents the epithet.
- The name is italicized in print or separately underlined when handwritten. This is done to denote their Latin origin.
- The first component starts with a capital letter and second component starts with a small letter.
Ques. Write a note on Family. (3 Marks)
Ans. A group of organisms that has less number of similarities in comparison to genus and species is termed Family. Families can be further divided into different subfamilies. In the taxonomic ranks, family is between order and genus.
Plants are divided into families on basis of reproductive as well as vegetative features of the plant species. For example, the family Solanaceae includes three genuses- Datura, Solanum and Petunia. The family Felidae consists of genus Panthera and Felis. The family Juglandaceae consists of hickory trees and walnut trees. Housefly belongs to Muscidae family. Mango belongs to Anacardiaceae family.
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Ques. Mention taxonomic categories of Humans and Wheat. (3 Marks)
Ans. Humans: Common name is Man and biological name of man is Homo sapiens. They fall under the Genus Homo. Family is Hominidae that comes under the order Primata. Humans belong to class Mammalia. Phylum is Chordata.
Wheat: Common name is Wheat and biological name is Triticum aestivum. Genus is Triticum which falls under family Poaceae. Order of Wheat is Poales. Class is Monocotyledonae and phylum is Angiospermae.
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