Ferns, monocots and dicots

Characteristics and classification of living organisms · Features of organisms · note 4 of 5

Spec 1.3.5

Supplement

Supplement: only for the Extended papers (2 and 4). Core students can skip it. What the labels mean

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Ferns, monocots and dicotsSpec 1.3.5

The plant kingdom contains two groups that you need to know: ferns and flowering plants. Flowering plants are split again into monocotyledons (monocots) and dicotyledons (dicots).

Main features of the plant groups
Group	Main features
Ferns	Leaves called fronds; have roots, stems and leaves; no flowers; reproduce using spores, made on the underside of the fronds, not seeds
Flowering plants	Produce flowers; reproduce using seeds, which form inside the ovary of the flower

Monocotyledons and dicotyledons

Comparing monocots and dicots
Feature	Monocotyledons	Dicotyledons
Cotyledons (seed leaves)	One	Two
Leaf veins	Parallel	Branching network
Leaf shape	Usually long and narrow	Usually broad
Flower parts	In threes or multiples of three	In fours or fives, or multiples of four or five
Examples	Grasses, wheat, maize	Beans, sunflower, oak

Monocotyledon and dicotyledon compared: one cotyledon, long narrow leaf with parallel veins and petals in threes, against two cotyledons, broad leaf with a branching network of veins and petals in fives. — Monocots have one cotyledon and parallel veins; dicots have two cotyledons and a branching network of veins.

Exam tip:

Count the cotyledons first, because that gives the group its name. Leaf vein pattern is the quickest feature to use when you are shown a leaf.