Examples of dicots include green peas, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, peanuts, apples, grapes, pear, watermelon, melon, potato, radish, bell peppers, oaks, and many more.
Flowering plants are categorized as monocots and dicots depending upon the number of cotyledons in their seeds. Plants having one cotyledon in the seed are known as monocot while those having two cotyledons are classified as dicots.
1. What are dicots?
Dicots are plants that bear seeds with two cotyledons in them. They are the basic class of flowering plants while the second-class being monocots or monocotyledons.
Both monocots and dicots not only differ from each other in the number of cotyledons but also there are other morphological differences in the leaves, flowers, and fruits.
1.1. Difference between monocots and dicots
There are clear morphological differences in monocots and dicots regarding the number of petals in flowers, shape of leaves, or type of fruits that they bear.
Embryological differences, root pattern, presence or absence of secondary growth, furrows in the pollen grains are other aspects in which monocots and dicots differ from each other.
Some main differences between plants categorized as monocotyledons or dicotyledons have been tabulated below focusing on the important and notable aspects:
Property | Monocots | Dicots |
---|---|---|
1. Leaf venation | Venation is parallel | Venation is branched |
2. Embryo | Single cotyledon | Two cotyledons |
3. Leaves arrangement | Isobilateral | Dorsiventral |
4. Arrangement of stomata | Stomata are present on both the upper and lower surface of leaves – amphistomatous | Stomata are present only on one surface of leaves of some dicots - unistomatous |
5. Flower petals | In the multiple of three | In the multiple of four or five |
6. Roots | Fibrous roots | Taproots |
7. Bulliform cells | Present in many types of monocots | No bulliform cells in dicots |
8. Vascular tissues in the stem | Scattered throughout the stem | Vascular tissues are arranged in the ring |
9. Vascular system | No cortex | Cortex, and stele |
10. Furrows in Pollen grains | Single | Three |
11. Wood | Herbaceous | Woody and herbaceous |
12.Seed leaves | One | Two |
13. Examples | Sugar, ginger, onion, grains, banana tree, and grass | Fruit plants mostly such as apple, almond, watermelon, melon, carrot seeds, etc. |
1.2. Classification of plants
Before going deep into the discussion consisting of examples of dicots, it would be better to understand that how and why did the plants were classified into monocots and dicots.
When we go back to the history where the classification started and plants were classified into monocots and dicots, the classification initially started in 1682 and then later on in 1789.
During this initial classification, angiosperms were classified into eight major groups. As the classification will only focus on the organization of angiosperms and not the gymnosperms, it’s better to understand that what is the difference between these two?
Angiosperms and gymnosperms are the basic categories of flowering vascular plants and the major difference among these two are given below:
1. Angiosperms: Angiosperms are the plants that have their seeds hidden or covered in the seed cover. They are not exposed or visible and are present inside the fruit or seed coat.
-
They form the largest group of the plant kingdom and are most diverse around the world as flowering plants.
-
For example, watermelon, mango, and apple are examples of angiosperms.
2. Gymnosperms: Gymnosperms are those plants whose seeds are exposed and not protected by seed coat or fruit pulp.
-
They are present externally and are visible from outside. There are no fruits and flowers present in such plants and they constitute the minor group of plants.
-
Examples of gymnosperms include pinus tree, sago palm, agathis, cyacs, and ginkgo, etc.
The classification according to which the plants were organized showed that the major number of plant species were included in monocots and dicots.
1.3. Comparison of monocots and dicots
Monocots and dicots have previously been compared in the tabulated form but here is a brief comparison according to their general characteristics:
1. Cotyledons
-
Cotyledons are the leaves of the embryo and form the basis of the classification of monocots and dicots.
-
Monocots or monocotyledons have a single embryo leaf or cotyledon while dicots or dicotyledons have two cotyledons.
2. Stem arrangement
-
The second major property in which monocots and dicots differ is the arrangement of vascular tissues in the stem.
-
The stem of monocots is just consisting of a scattered vascular system with no particular arrangement.
-
The stem of dicots consists of the cortex and stele and the vascular bundles form a cylinder in the center of the stem when a cross-sectional view is taken.
Point to be noted
Some plants that may be belonging to the class of monocots can have the features of dicots because of the same ancestors in past.
3. The difference in the floral parts
-
When the floral parts of monocots and dicots are compared to each other, there is also a difference among them.
-
Flower parts of monocots are present in a multiple of three while floral parts of dicots are present in the multiple of 4 or 5.
4. Differences in leaf venation
-
Leaf venation is the arrangement of veins in the leaves. Leaf venation of both the monocots and dicots is different and it also makes a point to differentiate them from each other.
-
There is a parallel arrangement in the leaf venation of monocots and the venation of dicot leaves is reticulate.
5. Difference in stomata
-
While we consider the presence of stomata in the leaves of monocots and dicots it also differs in both species. Stomata can either be present on one side of leaves or both sides.
-
These are the pores that are present in the epidermis of leaves and are used for respiration.
-
In monocots, stomata are present on both sides of the leaf surface while in most of the dicots these stomata are present only on one surface.
6. Furrows in pollen grains
-
There is yet another difference in both types of species that is the number of furrows in the pollen grains.
-
Pollen grains may have one or two furrows or pores depending upon the species to which they belong.
-
A pollen grain of monocot plants has a single furrow while the plants belonging to dicots are developed from the pollen grain that has three furrows or holes.
-
While Examples of dicots include green peas, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, peanuts, apples, grapes, pear, watermelon, melon, potato, radish, bell peppers, oaks, and many more.
-
Examples of monocots include grains, sugar, onion, ginger, etc.
7. Difference in roots
Monocots and dicots differ from each other regarding the roots of plants. Roots can be fibrous or adventitious.
Fibrous roots: the roots that arise from the base of the stem for example the roots of wheat.
Adventitious roots: Those kinds of roots that arise from the part of a plant other than the radical part, such as the roots of the grass.
Taproots: That kind of roots that is present centrally in a dominant form and from which the other roots are originating, such as the root of dicots.
Monocots have fibrous and adventitious root systems while taproots are found in the species of dicots or dicotyledons.
Summary
Dicots and monocots are two basic classes of plants. Dicots have two cotyledons in their seeds and monocots have one cotyledon in the seed. They also differ in leaf venation, root structure, number of furrows in the pollen grains, stem features, placement of stomata, and the arrangement of floral parts in the plant.
Examples of dicot plants
Dicots or dicotyledons constitute the main class of plants and the majority of plants belong to that class. More than 250k species of dicots are present worldwide and hence they make the largest group of plants.
Some common examples of dicots along with their properties are discussed in this section for a better understanding of their properties and specific features.
Plant name | Form | Nature |
---|---|---|
Almond | Tree | Angiosperm |
Oak | Tree | Angiosperm |
Apple | Tree | Angiosperm |
Sunflower | Plant | Angiosperm |
Cabbage | Plant | Angiosperm |
Peanut | Tree | Angiosperm |
Beans | Plant | Angiosperm |
Broccoli | Plant | Angiosperm |
Cauliflower | Plant | Angiosperm |
Cosmos | Plant | Angiosperm |
Peach | Tree | Angiosperm |
Daisy | Plant | Angiosperm |
Pepper | Plant | Angiosperm |
Rose | Plant | Angiosperm |
Tomato | Plant | Angiosperm |
Examples of dicot roots
Dicots are the plants that are developed by the seeds that have two cotyledons protected by seed coat or fruit pulp. Most of them belong to the class of angiosperms.
Flowering plants are categorized into two main classes that can be defined as monocots and dicots depending upon the number of cotyledons in their seeds.
Plants having one cotyledon in the seed are known as monocot while those having two cotyledons that are protected by the seed coat or the fruit are classified as dicot plants.
Some most common everyday examples of dicots include green peas, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, peanuts, apples, grapes, pear, watermelon, melon, potato, beans, peppers, cauliflower, radish, bell peppers, oaks, and many more.
Monocots and dicots also differ from each other in the root type. Monocots mostly have fibrous or adventitious roots while dicots are characterized to have the taproot that is centrally present and prominent root.
Characteristics of dicot roots
Dicot root – taproot – is the central, dominant root having the xylem in the center of the root. Phloem is present outside the xylem of a dicot root.
The ground tissue of dicot roots is composed of parenchymal cells that surround the central vascular structure of the dicot root.
Multiple small roots are arising from the main taproot of dicot plants and that is the characteristic nature of the dicot root.
Examples of dicot roots
Some examples of dicot plant roots are given as:
1. Carrot
Carrot is an edible vegetable and it is grown in form of plants. Carrot is the famous example of dicot plants and when the carrot root is considered, its whole bulb acts as a root from which the smaller roots are growing out.
2. Pea plant
-
Pea is also an edible vegetable and smaller round seeds are enclosed in the beans. Beans offer a protective covering to the pea seeds and are hence classified as an angiosperm.
-
Peas are classified as fruits when we consider them botanically and the reason behind this is that they develop from the â– â– â– â– â– and contain the seeds.
3. Beans
Beans are also dicots and they are grown in form of plants. Beans are vastly consumed in our daily diet and bean roots are also an example of dicot root.
4. Peanuts
Peanuts belong to the legume family and the seeds are inside the seed coat. The seeds are edible and it has much importance around the world. Peanut roots are a famous example of dicot roots.
In short
Dicots are the plants that are classified as dicots because of the presence of two cotyledons in their seed. Roots of dicots are taproots that are centrally placed and several smaller roots arise from the single dominant root. Famous examples of dicot roots include carrots, peanuts, beans, and pea plants.
20 examples of dicot seeds
Dicots are plants that are characterized by the presence of two cotyledons in their seed. They are much different from monocots and the differences not only lie in the seeds but also the roots and seeds are different in both of them.
The most common examples of dicot plants are given as:
- Tamarind seeds
- Papaya seeds
- Cashews
- Peas
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Apple seeds
- Beans
- Bitter gourd seeds
- Mango seeds
- Castor seeds
- Maple seeds
- Melon seeds
- Watermelon seeds
- Daisy seeds
- Mint seeds
- Lentils
- Lettuce seeds
- Oak seeds
- Cauliflower seeds
Frequently asked questions
There are several questions related or irrelevant to the examples of dicots. Some of them have been answered below to satisfy the queries:
1. What foods are dicots?
-
Dicots or dicotyledenous plants are those plants that belong to the class of plants that have two cotyledons in their seeds. Most of them belong to angiosperms and are edible vegetables, fruits or legumes.
-
Famous examples of dicot foods are apples, peanuts, cauliflower, lentils, carrots, avocados, blackberries watermelons, and melons, etc.
2. What vegetables are dicots?
-
Dicots include several vegetables that constitute a major part of our everyday food. These vegetables are grown from seeds that have two cotyledons in them and hence they are classified as dicots.
-
Some common examples of dicot vegetables are peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet pea, potatoes, tomatoes, and beans.
3. What fruits are dicots?
-
Dicots are plants that are characterized by having two cotyledons in their seeds. Most of them belong to the class Angiospermae and are edibles while some are decorative or ornamental plants.
-
Fruits that belong to the dicot group include apples, peanuts, guava, plum, litchi, mango, papaya, and grapes.
4. Are bananas monocots or dicots?
-
Monocots are plants that have one cotyledon in their seed and they have fibrous or adventitious roots.
-
Dicots are plants that are characterized by having two cotyledons in their seeds.
-
Bananas belong to the class of monocotyledons because their seed has a single cotyledon and the leaves have parallel venation.
5. Is pineapple monocot or dicot?
-
Pineapple is a fruit that has a lot of taste and nutrition in it. It’s interesting to find out that either this rich in nutrition fruit belong to monocots or dicots.
-
Pineapple is a tropical fruit just like a banana and hence it is also classified as a monocot. Leaf venation and the nature of root define the class of a plant or fruit.
Conclusion
Flowering plants are generally categorized as monocots or monocotyledons and dicots or dicotyledons. This classification is done depending upon the number of cotyledons in their seeds.
Plants that have one cotyledon in their seeds are known as monocot while those having two cotyledons are classified as dicots.
Several other differences are the basis of placing these two in different groups. These characteristics include the leaf venation, root type, furrows in the pollen grain, placement of stomata, difference in the multiples of floral parts, and the arrangement of vascular tissues in the stem.
The most famous examples of dicots include green peas, chickpeas, carrots, almonds, peanuts, apples, grapes, pear, watermelon, melon, potato, radish, bell peppers, oaks, and many more.
Examples of monocots include banana, grass, palm tree, sedges, arums, etc.
Read related articles
Evolution, a theory or fact
What does the transcription occur and where does the translation occur?
What are the three main parts of cell and their function?
What are the steps of lytic cycle?
Do all cells have DNA?