Nature Walk: Seed Leaves

Plant leaves can tell us what general group they belong to.  If the veins in a plant’s leaves are parallel it is a monocot. If the veins are netted, it is a dicot. Monocots have a single seed leaf while dicots have two seed leaves. Here we see new leaves of wild grape (left), a dicot, and the long spear-like leaves of wild blueflag iris mixed with sedges (right), which are both monocots.  Most trees and flowers are dicots. Grasses, sedges, rushes, and orchids are examples of monocots.  Your yard and nearby natural areas are likely to have examples of both!

Did you know a plant’s leaves could reveal such valuable information? What types of monocots and dicots have you found?

If you are interested in purchasing a print of this photo or requesting information on possible use of any of our “Nature Walk” photographs, please contact Carl Kurtz at cpkurtz@netins.net.

View our other Nature Walk posts!