Simple description about general characters of Angiospermic plants for B.Sc. students.

1. Dr.Sunita Bhosle
Department of Botany
Balbhim Arts, Science and Commerce College,
Beed

2. 1. Angiosperm word literally means “Angio” is closed and “Sperm” is seed, seed is closed
or covered with lot of coverings or layers
2. Vascular tissue (Xylem and Phloem) is well developed.
3. Flowers are produced instead of cone
4. The embryo sac (Ovule) remains enclosed in the ovary.
5. Pollen tube helps in fertilization, so water is not essential for fertilization.
6. Double fertilization is present. The endosperm is triploid.
7. Angiosperms are broadly classified into two classes namely Dicotyledons
and Monocotyledons.

3. Characteristic features of Dicotyledons and
Monocotyledons
Dicotyledons Morphological features
1.Reticulate venation is present in the leaves.
2.Presence of two cotyledons in the seed.
3.Primary root radicle persists as Tap root.
4.Flowers tetramerous or pentamerous.
5.Tricolpate (3 furrow) pollen is present.
Anatomical features
 Vascular bundles are arranged in the form of a ring in stem.
 Vascular bundles are open (Cambium present).
 Secondary growth is present.

4. Monocotyledons Morphological features
a)Parallel venation is present in the leaves.
b)Presence of single cotyledon in the seed.
c)Radicle doesn’t persist and fibrous root is present.
d)Flowers trimerous.
e)Monocolpate (1 furrow) Pollen is present.
Anatomical features
 Vascular bundles are scattered in the stem
 Vascular bundles are closed (Cambium absent).
 Secondary growth is absent.
Current Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) System of
classification doesn’t recognize dicots as a monophyletic group.
Plants that are traditionally classified under dicots are dispersed in
several clades such as early Magnolids and Eudicots.

10. a: monocolpate type (Convallaria majalis). It is the most common type of
monocotyledons. b, c: tricolpate type (Aspazoma amplectens,
Aizoaceae; b equatorial view, c: polar view). The tricolpate type is the
chief pollen type of dicotyledons.