Monocots and dicots are the two broad groups of flowering plants or angiosperms. Historically, scientists classified plants as monocots or dicots based on distinct differences between them. In modern times, molecular biology and genetics indicate the dicots are not all that similar to each other.

To distinguish between monocots and dicots, we need to compare different structural traits of angiosperms, viz. roots, stems, leaves and flowers. But, variations between monocots and dicots begin from the seed, which is the start of a plant’s life cycle.

Unlike monocots, dicots are not a group of plants arising from a single ancestor; rather, they are assumed to have evolved from different lineages. Thus dicots are paraphyletic. The types of plants in dicots range from garden plants, shrubs, and herbs to broadleaf plants like roses and geraniums.

Angiosperms are plants that live on land and reproduce using seeds in flowers and fruits. Monocotyledons and dicotyledons, also known as monocots and dicots, respectively, are two types of angiosperm plants.

Aside from cotyledon number, other broad differences have been noted between monocots and dicots, although these have proven to be differences primarily between monocots and eudicots. Many early-diverging dicot groups have monocot characteristics such as scattered vascular bundles, trimerous flowers, and non-tricolpate pollen. [5] .