Monocot vs. Dicot: What's the Difference?
Read the comparison below, or explore it visually. Create a visual lesson comparing monocot and dicot using available credits or plan allowance.
A monocot is a flowering plant whose seed has one cotyledon (seed leaf), while a dicot has two. That single embryo difference comes with a set of matching traits: monocots usually have parallel leaf veins, fibrous roots and flower parts in threes, whereas dicots usually have net-like veins, a taproot and flower parts in fours or fives.
At a glance
| Monocot | Dicot | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed leaves | One cotyledon | Two cotyledons |
| Leaf veins | Parallel venation | Reticulate (net-like) venation |
| Root system | Fibrous roots from the stem base | Usually one main taproot with branches |
| Stem bundles | Vascular bundles scattered; no true wood | Bundles in a ring; many form wood |
| Flower parts | Usually in multiples of three | Usually in multiples of four or five |
Which should you use?
A plant is a monocot when its seed sprouts with one seed leaf and its leaves have parallel veins, as in rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, banana, onion and the coconut palm.
A plant is a dicot when its seed splits into two halves and its leaves show a net of veins, as in gram, pea, mango, neem, mustard, sunflower and rose.