monocot

(noun)

one of two major groups of flowering plants (or angiosperms) that are traditionally recognized; seedlings typically have one cotyledon (seed-leaf)

Related Terms

Examples of monocot in the following topics:

  • Diversity of Angiosperms

    • Monocots include grasses and lilies while eudicots or dicots form a polyphyletic group.
    • Members in these groups all share traits from both monocot and dicot groups.
    • True woody tissue is rarely found in monocots.
    • This feature is still seen in the modern monocots.
    • Vascular tissue forms a ring in the stem whereas in monocots, vascular tissue is scattered in the stem.

  • Development of the Seed

    • Monocot and dicot seeds develop in differing ways, but both contain seeds with a seed coat, cotyledons, endosperm, and a single embryo.
    • The storage of food reserves in angiosperm seeds differs between monocots and dicots .
    • In monocot seeds, the testa and tegmen of the seed coat are fused.
    • This produces the fibrous root system of the monocot.
    • The structures of dicot and monocot seeds are shown.

  • Leaf Structure and Arrangment

    • Monocots and dicots differ in their patterns of venation .
    • Monocots have parallel venation in which the veins run in straight lines across the length of the leaf without converging.
    • (a) Tulip (Tulipa), a monocot, has leaves with parallel venation.

  • The Evolution of Roots in Seedless Plants

    • Dicots (flowering plants with two embryonic seed leaves) have a tap root system while monocots (flowering plants with one embryonic seed leaf) have a fibrous root system.
    • In dicot roots, the xylem and phloem of the stele are arranged alternately in an X shape, whereas in monocot roots, the vascular tissue is arranged in a ring around the pith.

  • Evolution of Angiosperms

    • Most modern angiosperms are classified as either monocots or eudicots based on the structure of their leaves and embryos.
    • Basal angiosperms, such as water lilies, are considered more primitive because they share morphological traits with both monocots and eudicots.

  • Plant Tissues and Organ Systems

    • Intercalary meristems occur only in monocots at the bases of leaf blades and at nodes (the areas where leaves attach to a stem).
    • This tissue enables the monocot leaf blade to increase in length from the leaf base; for example, it allows lawn grass leaves to elongate even after repeated mowing.

  • The Life Cycle of an Angiosperm

    • The zygote develops into an embryo with a radicle, or small root, and one (monocot) or two (dicot) leaf-like organs called cotyledons.
    • This difference in the number of embryonic leaves is the basis for the two major groups of angiosperms: the monocots and the eudicots.

  • Types of Root Systems and Zones of Growth

    • Dicots have a tap root system, while monocots have a fibrous root system, which is also known as an adventitious root system.

  • Stem Anatomy

    • In monocot stems, the vascular bundles are randomly scattered throughout the ground tissue .
    • In (b) monocot stems, vascular bundles composed of xylem and phloem tissues are scattered throughout the ground tissue.

  • The Importance of Seed Plants in Human Life

    • Sugar, to sweeten dishes, is produced from the monocot sugarcane and the eudicot sugar beet.