Monokotit

Monokotit, or monocotyledons, are a major lineage of flowering plants within the angiosperms. They include about 60,000 species across roughly 60 families, notably grasses, orchids, and palm-like plants. Monocots are found in a wide range of habitats worldwide and include many crops and ornamental species. Molecular studies place them as a distinct clade that originated early in the evolution of flowering plants during the Cretaceous period.

A defining feature of monocots is their embryo with a single seed leaf, or cotyledon. Other common traits include leaves with parallel veins, vascular bundles scattered in the stem, and a fibrous root system rather than a single dominant root. Pollen grains typically have a single furrow or pore, and flowers often have parts in multiples of three. Most monocots lack true secondary growth, so they usually do not form wood via a vascular cambium, though some exceptions exist.

Monocots play a central role in human life and ecosystems. They include staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, and sugarcane, as well as ornamental families like orchids, lilies, and irises. They are especially prominent in savannas, grasslands, wetlands, and tropical forests, where their adaptive traits support diverse communities. The monocot lineage is widely accepted in modern classification (APG system) as one of the major angiosperm groups.