Are Purple Petunias Monocot or Dicot?

Petunias

• Petunias grow as annuals or perennials, depending on location, and can be found in almost every color of the rainbow. Their brightly colored, trumpet-shaped blooms make them one of the most popular choices for flower gardens and container plantings. Petunias are relatively easy to care for and they flower profusely, producing masses of fragrant, colorful blooms. Petunias are classified as dicotyledons, since they produce a single pair of embryonic leaves upon germination.

Cotyledons

• Cotyledons are parts of the embryo inside the seed of a plant. When the seed sprouts, the cotyledons form the first set of recognizable leaves, before the plant produces its first set of true leaves. Some species lose their cotyledons soon after producing their first set of leaves, while others have persistent cotyledons, which remain attached for long periods of time. Cotyledons contain stored energy from the seed, which the young plant uses to grow before sprouting its first set of true leaves. Cotyledons may gradually turn green and begin photosynthesis to support plant growth, or wither and fall as the plant grows, depending on the species.

Monocots

• Flowering plants can be broadly classified into two groups, monocots and dicots, based on the number of cotyledons they produce upon germination. Monocotyledon plants contain embryos with a single seed leaf, and subsequent leaves typically have vascular structure with parallel veins. The flowering parts of their anatomy are produced in multiples of three, and vascular bundles in the stem have a scattered appearance, when examined in cross-section. Flowers on monocot plants like grasses are often overlooked, since they do not produce showy petals.

Dicots

• Dicotyledons can be most easily distinguished from monocots by the number of embryonic leaves they produce upon germination. Dicot plants have two seed leaves, and later leaves have a net-like vein structure. Flowering parts are produced in multiples of four or five, and stem cross sections reveal ring-like vascular structure. Dicots comprise a much higher proportion of woody plants than monocots, although the distinction can be fuzzy at times. Palm trees and agaves, for example, are classified as monocots, despite their woody appearance.