Dicotyledon

Dicotyledons
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida
Orders
Subclass Asteridae     Asterales (sunflowers) - 1 family     Callitrichales - 2 families     Calycerales - 1 family     Campanulales - 6 families     Dipsacales - 4 families     Gentianales - 4 families     Lamiales - 5 families     Plantaginales - 1 family     Polemoniales - 1 family     Rubiales (madders) - 1 family     Scrophulariales - 12 families     Solanales - 7 families Subclass Caryophyllidae     Caryophyllales - 12 families     Plumbaginales - 1 family     Polygonales - 1 family Subclass Dilleniidae     Batales - 1 family     Capparales - 6 families     Diapensiales - 1 family     Dilleniales - 2 families     Ebenales - 5 families     Ericales - 7 families     Lecythidales - 1 family     Malvales - 6 families     Nepenthales - 3 families     Primulalales - 3 families     Salicales - 1 family     Theales - 13 families     Violales[?] - 21 families Subclass Hamamelidae     Casuarinales[?] - 1 family     Fagales - 3 families     Hamamelidales - 6 families     Juglandales[?] - 3 families     Leitneriales[?] - 1 family     Myricales[?] - 1 family     Urticales - 6 families Subclass Hamamelididae     Daphniphyllales[?] - no families listed     Didymelales[?] - no families listed     Eucommiales[?] - 1 family     Trochodendrales[?] - 2 families Subclass Magnoliidae     Aristolochiales - 1 family     Illiciales - 2 families     Laurales - 4 families     Magnoliales - 14 families     Nymphaeales - 4 families     Papaverales - 2 families     Piperales - 3 families     Ranunculales - 7 families Subclass Rosidae     Apiales - 2 families     Celestrales[?] - 11 families     Cornales - 5 families     Euphorbiales - 6 families     Fabales - 1 family     Geraniales - 5 families     Haloragales - 4 families     Linales[?] - 3 families     Myrtales - 12 families     Podostemales[?] - 2 families     Polygalales[?] - 7 families     Proteales - 1 family     Rafflesiales[?] - 3 families     Rhamnales - 4 families     Rhizophorales[?] - 1 family     Rosales - 20 families     Santalales - 12 families     Sapindales - 16 families

Dicotyledons are flowering plants whose seeds are divided into two seed lobes, or cotyledons, in germinating. These cotyledons may be ephemeral, lasting only days after emergence, or persistent, lasting a year or more. The name dicot is also used for these plants.

Traditionally the dicots are treated as a class, called the Magnoliopsida or Dicotyledoneae. They are now generally believed to be paraphyletic to the monocotyledons, however, and so some newer systems (e.g. Reveal) divide them. Nearly all fall into a monophyletic group called the eudicots, but this does not include the type genus, Magnolia. Thus in systems which separate them out, the name Rosopsida is used for the eudicots and Magnoliopsida for a basal group.

See also: how to distinguish a monocot from a dicot

Table of contents 1 Synonyms and common names 2 Reference 3 Problems 1 Reference Links

Synonyms and common names

Synonyms: Dicotyledoneae, Magnoliatae
Common names: Dicotyledons, dicots

Reference

ITIS - Magnoliopsida (as of 2002-05-30) (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=18063)

Problems

ITIS' classification is somewhat controversial at the moment. There is good reason to expect that many of the groups are para- or polyphyletic, and a number of alternative classifications have arisen.

Sarraceniales - this order is empty in ITIS; its contents appear to now be included in the Nepenthales. Umbellales - this order is empty in ITIS; most of its contents appear to have been moved to the Apiales.

Families with uncertain placement. These families are not mentioned in ITIS. The names mostly result from modern cladistics. Of course, the plants themselves always existed, and are likely already in the taxa listed above, but with a different name that has not yet been identified. They will be moved when enough information is available. A usable chart of families may be found at [1] (http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/angiospermae-classif.htm). Description of most of these families may also be found on the Delta site [2] (http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/).

• Berberidopsidaceae[?] - The coral plant of Chile
• Aphloiaceae[?] - Included in Rosidae by some, Violales by others. See also [3] (http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/orders/crossosomatalesweb.htm)
• Vahliaceae[?] - 1 genus Vahlia or Bistella with 5 species. Included in Rosales by some, Saxifragales by others. See Delta [4] (http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/vahliace.htm) for more information.
• Plocospermataceae[?] - 1 genus, 3 species. Variously included in Scrophulariales, Gentianales and Loganiaceae. See Delta [5] (http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/plocospe.htm).

Reference Links

1. http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/angiospermae-classif.htm
2. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio
3. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/orders/crossosomatalesweb.htm
4. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/vahliace.htm
5. http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/angio/www/plocospe.htm