Differences between dicot and monocot plants
March 9, 2018
S.N | Characters | Dicot plants | Monocot plants |
1. | Cotyledon | Two | One |
2. | Flower | Usually penta-merous | Usually tri-merous |
3. | Nodes and internodes | Distinct nodes and internodes are absent. | Distinct nodes and internodes are present. |
4. | Root | Tap root. | Fibrous root. |
Secondary growth is present. | Secondary growth is absent. | ||
Pith is absent or highly reduced. | Well developed pith is present. | ||
Cortex is not differentiated into exodermis. | Cortex is differentiated into outer exodermis or hypodermis. | ||
5. | Stem | Vascular bundles are wedge shaped. | Vascular bundles are oval or rounded on outline. |
Vascular bundles are arranged in rings. | Vascular bundles are found scattered in the ground tissue. | ||
Phloem parenchyma is present | Phloem parenchyma is absent. | ||
Medullary rays are present between the vascular bundles. | Medullary rays are absent. | ||
Epidermis usually contains multicellular hairs. | Epidermis is usually without hairs. | ||
Stem is hard and strong. | It is hollow and soft. | ||
6. | Leaf | Bulliform cells are absent. | Bulliform cells are present. |
Guard cells are kidney shaped. | Guard cells are dumble shaped. | ||
Mesophyll is differentiated into palisade and spongy parenchyma. | Mesophyll is not differentiated. | ||
Intercellular spaces are large and numerous. | Intercellular spaces are narrow and few. | ||
Stomata are usually found only in lower epidermis. | Stomata are more or less equally distributed on both upper and lower epidermis. | ||
Leaves are broad. | Leaves are elongated. | ||
7. | Venation | Reticulate | Parallel. |
8. | Examples
|
Pea, sunflower, neem, pumpkin, orange, etc. | Bamboo, grass , maize, banana, coconut, etc. |
Image source: bioninja
References:
i) http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-monocots-and-dicots-3/
ii) https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss8/monocotdicot.html