Question:

The plant used as a packing material for the living material transshipment is

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Sphagnum moss is widely used in horticulture and botany for packing living plant materials due to its excellent water retention, cushioning, and antiseptic properties.
Updated On: Jun 19, 2026
  • Marchantia
  • Sphagnum
  • Anthoceros
  • Funaria
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the context.
In the shipment of living plant materials, especially delicate or moisture-sensitive specimens, it is crucial to maintain humidity, absorb excess water, and provide cushioning.

Step 2: Properties of Sphagnum.

Sphagnum moss has several important characteristics:
- High water retention capacity: It can hold many times its weight in water.
- Soft and spongy texture: Provides cushioning for delicate specimens.
- Antiseptic property: Reduces the risk of microbial contamination.
- Sterile and lightweight: Ideal for packing fragile living material without adding significant weight.

Step 3: Role in transshipment.

When transporting living plants, Sphagnum moss:
- Keeps plant tissues moist, preventing desiccation.
- Cushions roots and delicate parts from mechanical damage.
- Helps in maintaining micro-environmental humidity inside packages.

Step 4: Comparison with other options.

- Marchantia: A liverwort; not typically used as packing material due to limited absorbency.
- Anthoceros: Hornwort; small and less absorbent, not suitable for cushioning.
- Funaria: A small moss; though it is a moss, it does not have the same high absorbency and structural integrity as Sphagnum.

Step 5: Conclusion.

Therefore, the ideal plant for packing living material during transshipment is Sphagnum moss.
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