Chapter 28, Problem 1SQ

While walking in the woods, you encounter an unfamiliar flowering plant. Which of the following plant features would help you determine plant is a monocot or a eudicot? (Choose all that are appropriate)

1. a. size of the plant
2. b. number of seed leaves
3. c. shape of its root system
4. d. number of petals in its flowers
5. e. arrangement of vascular bundles In Its stem
6. f. whether or not it produces seed-bearing cones

Summary Introduction

To examine: Which plant features would help to determine whether that plant is a monocot or a eudicot.

Introduction: Angiosperms are that plants that have flowers and produce seeds that are enclosed within a carpel. The plants can be classified on the basis of structural difference into monocots and eudicots. The name of the embryonic structure of seed leaves is called cotyledons. A monocot has one seed leaf, whereas a eudicot has two seed leaves.

Answer to Problem 1SQ

Correct answer:

Option b. is given as “number of seed leaves”.

Option c. is given as “shape of the root system”.

Option d. is given as “number of petals in its flowers”.

Option e. is given as “arrangement of vascular bundles in its stem”.

Therefore, options b., option c., option d., and option e. are correct.

Explanation of Solution

Reasons for the correct statement:

Monocot has one cotyledon, fibrous root, flowers multiple of three, and vascular bundles are arranged complexly.

Eudicot has two cotyledons, taproot system, flowers usually multiple of four or five, and vascular bundles are arranged in a ring.

Hence, option b., option c., option d., and option e. are correct.

Reasons for the incorrect statement:

Option a. is given as “size of the plant”, but both monocot and eudicot have different sizes of plants. Hence, this cannot be used to differentiate between them.

So, option a. is incorrect.

Option f. is given as “whether or not it produces seed-bearing cones”, but seed-bearing cone is not a feature of monocot or eudicot.

So, option b. is incorrect.

Hence, options a. and f. are incorrect.

Conclusion

Number of seed leaves, shape of the root system, number of petals in its flowers, and arrangement of vascular bundles in its stem can be used to differentiate between monocot and eudicot.