Monocots
Author: Ray Bowers

Description:
The name monocotyledon refers to the single embryo leaf in the seed or cotyledon. Monocots vary in size from less than 0.1mm (0.125 in) to 6m tall canes. The main vascular pattern in the leaves is a parallel venation. Between the main veins there may be a network of veins. The vascular bundles in the stems are usually scattered. Monocots usually have a fibrous root system. Flower parts are usually in threes. The flowers may have all of the flower parts in the previous illustration or there may be some missing. The flowers are usually distinct for a particular family, but are variable in color, shape, and size.

Geographic range:
Monocots are found world wide, and they are found throughout New Mexico.

Habitat:
Monocots are found in all terrestrial habitats, and shallow freshwater and saltwater habitats.

Reproduction and Development:
Monocots are usually dioecious, but some are monoecious. The flowers may be regular, where the flower can be divided in two, or irregular, where it can not be divided into two equal parts. Pollen grains usually have a single groove or pit. Monocots can also reproduce asexually.

Conservation:
Some monocots are endangered primarily from habitat loss.

Other info:
There are over sixty-five thousand known species of monocots in the world. All of the cereals are monocots. Sugar cane produces sixty million tons of sugar per year. Saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, belongs to the iris family. Natural vanilla comes from the vanilla orchid.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta, Flowering Plants
Class: Liliopsida, Monocots

Orders found in New Mexico:

Liliales: onions, lilies, Solomon's seal, and iris
Asparagales: agaves, sotol, lechugilla, and soaptree yuccas
Orchidales: orchids
Alismatales: water plaintain and arrowhead
Potamogetonales: pondweed
Arales: duckweed, skunk cabbage
Bromeliales: pickerel-weed and mud-plaintain
Typhales: cat-tails
Commelinales: spiderworts and dayflowers
Juncales: rushes and sedges
Poales: black gramma grass and bush muhly grass

References:
Allred, Kelly W. 2000. A Field Guide to the Flora of the Jornada Plain. Las Cruces , New Mexico : Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University.

Curtis, Helena and N. Sue Barnes. 1989. Biology. New York : Worth Publishers, Inc.

Ivey, Robert Dewitt, 1995, Flowering Plants of New Mexico . Albuquerque , New Mexico:Published by author.

Stern, Kinsley R. 1997. Introductory Plant Biology. Dubuque , Iowa : Wm. C. Brown Publishing.

Wooton, E. O. and Paul C. Standley. 1915. Flora of New Mexico . Washington : Government Printing Office.

Zomlefer, Wendy B. 1994. Flowering Plant Families. Chapel Hill , North Carolina : The University of North Carolina Press.

Related Terms: Magnoliophyta, Angiosperms