Prelims 2023 · Q3
EasyConsider the following trees:
- 1.Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
- 2.Mahua (Madhuca indica)
- 3.Teak (Tectona grandis)
How many of the above are deciduous trees?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Only two
Teak and mahua are typical trees of India's tropical deciduous (monsoon) forests and shed their leaves in the dry season. Jackfruit keeps its leathery leaves all year and is an evergreen tree, so only two of the three are deciduous.
- ✗ 1. Jackfruit is an evergreen tree with glossy, leathery leaves; it does not drop its foliage in a dry season.
- ✓ 2. Mahua is listed among the main species of India's tropical deciduous forests, which shed leaves in the dry months.
- ✓ 3. Teak is the best-known tree of the tropical deciduous (monsoon) forests of India.
Remember · Tropical deciduous (monsoon) forests: teak, sal, shisham, mahua, amla, semul, kusum, sandalwood. Jackfruit is an evergreen tree.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 India: Physical Environment, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · India: Physical Environment, Chapter 5 “Teak, sal, shisham, hurra, mahua, amla, semul, kusum, and sandalwood etc. are the main species of these forests.”
- Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO): Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) ↗ · reference work “Artocarpus heterophyllus is an evergreen tree reaching 8-25 m high.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·