dikotyledonilla

Dikotyledonilla is a term used in botany to denote a hypothetical clade of flowering plants defined by having two cotyledons in the seed. The name is built from Greek di-'two' and kotyledon-'cotyledon', with the diminutive suffix -illa, suggesting a smaller or informal grouping.

In formal taxonomy, dikotyledonilla is not an officially recognized unit in major classifications. It is sometimes used as an educational or theoretical label to discuss the group commonly referred to as dicotyledons, or to illustrate two-cotyledon seed germination.

Typical features associated with the concept include seeds with two cotyledons, net-veined leaves, and floral parts often in multiples of four or five. However, there is extensive variation, and modern phylogenetics treats dicots as a non-monophyletic assemblage that comprises the eudicots together with several earlier-diverging lineages.

Evolution and fossil context: The two-cotyledon condition is a defining trait of the traditional dicots and appears in early angiosperm fossils. The labelling 'Dikotyledonilla' is mainly used to frame discussions about seed morphology and deep plant evolution rather than to designate a current, single living clade.