Dicotyledons

Dicotyledons, or dicots, are a traditional grouping of flowering plants (angiosperms) characterized by having two cotyledons in the seed. They typically show net-veined leaves, vascular bundles arranged in a ring in the stem, and a usually taproot-dominant root system. Many dicots also exhibit secondary growth by a vascular cambium and woody stems, though herbaceous forms are common as well.

In germination, two cotyledons supply nutrients, and the embryo comprises a hypocotyl and an epicotyl that later develop into the root and shoot. The endosperm is often depleted as the seedling grows and begins photosynthesis.

Leaves generally have reticulate venation and varied shapes. Stem vascular bundles form a ring rather than being scattered. Floral organs are commonly in multiples of four or five, though there is extensive variation. Pollen often bears multiple apertures, particularly in the core dicots.

Diversity and classification: Dicots include many familiar families such as Rosaceae (roses), Fabaceae (legumes), Asteraceae (sunflowers), and many trees and shrubs. In modern taxonomy the traditional dicot grouping is not a single clade, and most species belong to the eudicots, a monophyletic group within the flowering plants. Basal dicot lineages are recognized as earlier-diverging lineages outside the core eudicots. The term remains common in historical and some educational contexts, but taxonomy today emphasizes narrower clades for precision.