Difference Between Monocot And Dicot Seeds – A Comprehensive Guide

If you are into plants or gardening, it is probably a good idea to learn the difference between monocot and dicot seeds so you can understand the difference better and how they grow.

From flowering plants to fruit-bearing plants, there’s a huge variety out there, and each of them plays a role in nature, even if you are not aware of it. No matter how big or small a plant is, they all start from a seed, which may look simple from the outside, but inside they hold an entire plant ready to grow if the conditions are right.

Seeds are classified into two main types, including monocot and dicot seeds, and they refer to the number of seed leaves, or cotyledons, that appear when they start growing. This may sound simple, but it influences everything from the plant’s leaf shape to its root system, which is why knowing the difference is essential.

This guide will take a closer look at the differences between monocot seeds and dicot seeds, helping you to understand the fascinating building blocks of the plant world and implement the knowledge as and when needed.

What Is a Dicot Seed?

Plants in our world come in many shapes and sizes and grow from different types of seeds, including dicot, which belongs to a group called dicotyledons. 

These seeds are special as they have two cotyledons, or seed leaves, unlike monocot seeds, which have just one, and help support the growing plant. This is one of the major differences that helps you tell dicots apart from monocots.

Some Dicot seed examples include the following:

• Tamarind

• Bitter gourd

• Mango

• Castor

• Neem

• Papaya

• Night jasmine

Features Of Dicot Seeds

Knowing the key features helps you understand what a dicotyledonous plant is, and to help you out, we have explained them in the following lines.

• Dicot seeds have two thick and fleshy seed leaves that store food and help the baby plant grow after germination.

• The outer layer of the seed is called the seed coat, and it has two parts, including the testa (outer layer) and tegmen (inner layer). They together protect the seed from drying out or damage.

• Inside the seed coat lies the embryo, which includes the two cotyledons that store food for the growing plant.

• There are over 200,000 species of dicot seeds around the world, which shows how common and diverse they really are.

• The seed coat protects the embryo and ensures it stays safe until it grows into a plant when the conditions are right.

What Is a Monocot Seed?

After dicot seeds, let’s tell you what a monocot seed is so you can differentiate between the two and understand how they grow.

Monocot seeds are found in flowering plants, and they have only one cotyledon, or seed leaf, making them different from dicot seeds, which have two cotyledons.

The single cotyledon is a thin leaf-like structure inside the seed, and it stores a special tissue called the endosperm instead of food. This not only feeds the baby plant inside but also helps it grow when the time comes.

Some monocotyledon examples that you see in your daily life include the following:

• Ginger

• Rice

• Wheat

• Banana

• Maize (corn)

• Bamboo

• Onion

• Tulips

• Garlic

• Palm

• Lilies

• Daffodils

• Iris

Features Of Monocot Seeds

We have explained the key features or characteristics of monocotyledon plants in this section, so you can understand what they are actually like.

• These seeds have just one seed leaf that holds the baby plant, and their pollen grains usually have one pore or opening.

• Their flowers often have petals and other parts in multiples of three, while the veins in their leaves run parallel from top to bottom.

• The vascular bundles inside the stem are scattered, not arranged in a ring like you find in dicots.

• These seeds usually grow adventitious roots, which come out from places other than the main root, and since they don’t have secondary growth, their stems don’t thicken over time.

• The embryo contains a single cotyledon called the scutellum, and it is shaped like a shield.

• The aleurone layer covers the endosperm and helps store and release nutrients as and when needed.

• The shoot tip is covered by a protective layer called the coleoptile, while the root tip is protected by coleorhiza.

• These seeds often have a large, thick endosperm that serves as the main food source for the growing plant, and for this reason, they are called albuminous seeds as well.

Difference Between Monocot And Dicot Seeds

Now that you have an idea what the two types of seed are, let us help you understand dicot seeds vs monocot seeds so you can have an in-depth idea about these seeds. We have drawn a detailed comparison, highlighting the major differences between the two seed types, as you can read below.

Number of Cotyledons

When it comes to dicot seeds vs monocot seeds, the biggest differences lie in the number of cotyledons. Monocot seeds are called so because they contain only one cotyledon, or seed leaf, that appears when the seed begins to grow. Dicot seeds, on the other hand, contain two cotyledons, which store food for the baby plant inside. Cotyledons are important because they provide food to the growing seedling until the plant can make its food using sunlight after germination.

Cotyledon Structure

The appearance and role of the cotyledons are also different in monocots and dicots, proving how different they are from each other. The single cotyledon in monocot seeds is thin and acts as a passage for nutrients from the endosperm so the plant inside can get the nutrition needed. The two cotyledons in dicots are thicker and act as a food storage for the growing plant, ensuring it is fed well until it grows into a plant.

Coleorhiza

A unique feature in monocot seeds is the presence of protective coverings called the coleorhiza that cover the plumule and surround the radicle developing into the root. These coverings protect the plant’s parts as they push through the soil, ensuring they don’t get hurt or damaged during the process. Dicots do not have these protective layers, and as a result, their roots and shoots grow directly without them.

Endosperm

The endosperm is an important part of a seed, but its presence varies depending on the seed type. For example, it remains in the seed and plays a major role in feeding the embryo during germination if it is a monocot seed, but in dicots, the endosperm is often absent or reduced into the cotyledons before the seed matures. 

Seed Shape and Size

If you compare the physical appearance of dicot and monocot seeds, you will realise how different they look both in terms of size and shape. Monocot seeds are usually smaller, narrower, and less symmetrical, whereas dicot seeds are larger, rounder, and more evenly shaped. This is mainly because of the presence of two large cotyledons in dicots that monocots don’t have.

Seed Pod Structure

Monocot plants usually produce pods that are arranged in multiples of three, but dicot plants don’t follow such a fixed pattern, as their seed pods can have many seeds, or just one, depending on the plant species.

Leaf Venation

The leaves of monocot plants have veins running parallel to each other from the base to the tip, but in dicot plants, the leaf veins form a net-like or branched pattern, which is very different from that of its counterpart. This is a very easy way to tell the difference between the seed types if you just look at the leaves.

Pollen Grain Structure

Monocot pollen usually has a single pore or opening, while dicot pollen has three pores, which may sound like a simple detail, but it's very important for scientists when studying plant reproduction and classification.

Root System

Monocots develop a fibrous root system, where many thin roots spread out from the base of the plant and hold it firmly in the ground, especially if the soil is shallow. Dicots, on the other hand, grow a taproot system, where one large root grows deep into the soil, and smaller roots branch off from it, helping the plant access water and nutrients from deeper soil layers.

Plumule Location

The plumule, the part of the seed that grows into the shoot or the upper part of the plant, is located in different places in dicots and monocots. To be more precise, the plumule is positioned at the centre or the tip of the embryo in monocot seeds, but is often found on one side if it is a dicot seed. This may seem like a small detail, but it plays a big role and determines how the shoot develops when the seed begins to grow.

Vascular Bundles

The vascular bundles inside the stem that carry nutrients and water are arranged differently in dicots and monocots. These bundles in monocots are scattered randomly throughout the stem, but arranged in a ring near the outer edge of the stem in dicot seeds. This affects how the stem grows and how strong it becomes.

Secondary Growth

Most monocots do not undergo secondary growth because they lack a vascular cambium, which is responsible for increasing the stem’s thickness, and as a result, these plants stay slender all their life. Dicots, however, experience secondary growth, which allows them to grow thicker and develop woody stems like those of trees and shrubs.

Characteristics	Dicot Seeds	Monocot Seeds
Definition	Two cotyledons	One cotyledon
Number of Cotyledons	Two	One
Endosperm Presence	Absent or reduced	Present
Cotyledon Characteristics	Fleshy, stores food, photosynthetic	Thin, absorb nutrients, non-photosynthetic
Coleorhiza	Absent	Present
Plumule Location	Lateral	Terminal
Shape and Size	Large	Small
Seed Pod Structure	Variable number of seeds	Trimerous
Vascular Bundles	Arranged in a ring formation	Spread out throughout the system
Leaf Venation	Branched	Parallel
Secondary Growth	Yes	No
Root System	Taproot	Fibrous
Pollen Structure	Three pores	Single pore

Final Thoughts

After reading the difference between dicot and monocot seeds, it is clear that they have a different number of cotyledons, leaves, stems, and root structure, each of which plays an important role in a plant’s development. Understanding the structure and features of these seeds is not just useful for scientists; but farmers and gardeners also benefit from it, as it helps them to work with plants more efficiently. Now that the difference is clear, it should be easier for you to identify them and grow plants if you are interested in it.

FAQs

What are the five differences between monocots and dicots?

The five main differences between monocots and dicots lie in the leaf venation, root system, flower parts, vascular bundles, and number of cotyledons present.

What is the difference between monocot and dicot seeds for the Class 5 PowerPoint?

Monocot seeds have one cotyledon, but dicot seeds have two cotyledons.

What is the difference in seed structure between monocotyledons and dicotyledons?

Monocot seeds have one cotyledon, which contains the endosperm to store food, whereas dicot seeds have two cotyledons for storing food and may not have an endosperm.

What is the difference between the dicot and monocot root class 10?

Monocot roots have a fibrous root system and have a large pith, but dicot roots have a taproot system and may or may not have a small pith.

What are the 5 monocot and 5 dicot seeds?

Five monocot seeds include rice, wheat, onion, banana, and maize, and five dicot seeds include pea, bean, mango, mustard, and groundnut.

What are 10 examples of monocots?

10 examples of monocots include rice, sugarcane, banana, maize, onion, lily, bamboo, grass, and garlic.

What is the difference between a monocot and a dicot seed, Class 10?

Monocot seeds consist of one cotyledon, a thin seed coat, and food is stored in the endosperm. Dicot seeds have two cotyledons that store food, and the seed coat is thicker.

What is the difference between a monocot and a dicot leaf for class 5?

Monocot leaves have parallel veins that are usually long and narrow, but dicot leaves have branched and broad veins.

How are monocots different from dicots, class 7?

Monocots have one cotyledon, parallel leaf veins, and fibrous roots, whereas dicots have two cotyledons, net-like veins, and a taproot system.

What is the difference between monocot and dicot stem class 5?

Monocots have vascular bundles scattered inside the stem, but in dicots, it is arranged in a ring.