Understanding Dicots: Characteristics and Importance of Flowering Plants

Dicots (short for "dicotyledons") are a group of flowering plants that have two cotyledons (seed leaves) in their embryo. The term "dicot" was coined by the French botanist Joseph Decaisne in 1840, and it is used to distinguish these plants from monocots, which have only one cotyledon.

Dicots are found in a wide range of plant families, including roses, peas, sunflowers, and most other flowering plants that are not grasses or sedges. They are characterized by a number of features, such as:

* Two cotyledons in the embryo of the seed
* Net-like veins in their leaves (called reticulate venation)
* Stems with branches that are produced at the nodes (the points where the leaves meet the stem)
* Roots that have a taproot system (a main root that grows downward and branch roots that spread outward)

Dicots are important crops, such as wheat, rice, soybeans, and corn. They also include many ornamental plants, like roses, daisies, and sunflowers.