Spices
Angiosperms or flowering plants are the most dominant group of the
vascular plant world. They are classified in two different parts according
to the number of cotyledons present in them. A cotyledon contains stored
food and serves as a food reservoir. Thus spices are majorly divided into
two groups.
Monocots- They has only one cotyledon,
Dicots - They have two cotyledons
The studies by John Ray in the 1700's on the structure of seeds led him
to discover the difference between monocotyledon (monocots) and
dicotyledonous (dicots) plants. There are estimated to be about 165,000
different types of dicots and 55,000 types of monocots.
Aside from the difference between the seeds of monocots and dicots there
are other different structures that separate monocots and dicots. They are
Characteristics |
Monocots |
Dicots |
Embryo |
Single cotyledon |
Two cotyledon |
Flower |
In the multiple of three |
In the multiple of fours and fives |
Leaf veins |
Parallel |
Reticulated |
Pollen |
Single furrow or pore |
Three furrows |
Vascular plants |
Scattered |
In a ring in stems |
Roots |
Adventitious |
Radicle |
Secondary |
Absent |
Often present |
Common Monocot families are
Arecaceae |
Palm family |
Bromeliaceae |
Bromeliad family |
Cyperaceae |
Sedge family |
Hydrocharitaceae |
Frog's-bit family |
Liliaceae |
Lily family |
Orchidaceae |
Orchid family |
Poaceae (or Gramineae) |
Grass family |
Zingiberaceae |
Ginger family |
Common Dicot families are
Apiaceae |
Parsley or carrot family |
Asteraceae |
Sunflower family |
Betulaceae |
Birch family |
Brassicaceae |
Mustard family |
Cactaceae |
Cactus family |
Caryophyllaceae |
Carnation family |
Cornaceae |
Dogwood family |
Cucurbitaceae |
Pumpkin family |
Ericaceae |
Heath family |
Euphorbiaceae |
Spurge family |
Fabaceae |
Pea or legume family |
Fagaceae |
Beech or oak family |
Lamiaceae |
Mint family |
Lauraceae |
Cinnamon family |
Magnoliaceae |
Magnolia family |
Nymphaeaceae |
Water lily family |
Papaveraceae |
Poppy family |
Piperaceae |
Black pepper family |
Ranunculaceae |
Buttercup family |
Rosaceae |
Rose family |