Which of these two plants are most related: meadow thistle and cut-leaved cranesbill, or herb robert and cut- leaved cranesbill? And explain why
To determine which of these two plants are most related, we can use their scientific classifications and compare their taxonomic categories.
First, let's consider the scientific names of each plant:
- Meadow thistle: Cirsium species
- Cut-leaved cranesbill: Geranium dissectum
- Herb robert: Geranium robertianum
Comparing the scientific names, we can see that both "cut-leaved cranesbill" and "herb robert" belong to the same genus "Geranium." This indicates that these two plants are closely related.
On the other hand, "meadow thistle" belongs to the genus "Cirsium," which is different from the genus "Geranium" to which "cut-leaved cranesbill" and "herb robert" belong. Therefore, "meadow thistle" is not as closely related to "cut-leaved cranesbill" as "herb robert" is.
In conclusion, "herb robert" is more closely related to "cut-leaved cranesbill" than "meadow thistle" because they both belong to the same genus, Geranium.
Based on the information provided, the plants that are most related out of the given options are herb robert and cut-leaved cranesbill.
The reason for this is because both herb robert (Geranium robertianum) and cut-leaved cranesbill (Geranium dissectum) are part of the same family, Geraniaceae, also known as the geranium family. This family includes various species of flowering plants, and both herb robert and cut-leaved cranesbill belong to the same genus, Geranium.
On the other hand, meadow thistle (Cirsium dissectum) does not belong to the same family or genus as cut-leaved cranesbill. Therefore, herb robert and cut-leaved cranesbill have a closer botanical relationship compared to meadow thistle and cut-leaved cranesbill.