Monocots

[Monocotyledons]

Flowering plants (Angiospermae alt Magnoliophyta) are known to have existed more than 140 million years ago. Earlier than 110 million years ago, perhaps as early as 131 million years ago, a divergent branch became the Monocots. Exactly where, how and why are questions yet unanswered. Their simplified form compared to the magnolids and eudicots suggest they were originally aquatic plants. These plants sprout with just one embryonic leaf (cotyledon) instead of two, and their leaves tend to be long and narrow with parallel veins instead of a single major vein with auxiliary veins branching from it. They have no easy way to thicken their stems and roots may sprout from almost anywhere on stems, traits common to aquatic plants.

Formerly these plants were all catagorized as "Lilies" (class Liliopsida), but the genetically based AGP III system has been unkind to lilies. They are now within the Clade Monocots, demoted to a minor order on the same level as asparagus (formerly a member of the lily order) and most of their former members now belong to asparagus or other orders.

Plants

Magnolias

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Only lineages used for human food are listed here, though our list is not complete (we're working on that). There are many monocots that provide nothing edible and they are not mentioned here.

Our classifications follow the APG II/III/IV system (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group). Applying molecular analysis, the AGP system has caused a major upheaval in plant taxonomy.

Clade Angiosperms

- Unplaced within Kingdom Plantae

Clade Monocots

- Unplaced within Angiospersms

Alismatid Monocots

- Basal Monocots - Informal group

Order Acorales
- Family Acoraceae
  - Genus/spc.Acorus.americanus, A. calamus - Sweet Flag
Order Alismatales
- Family Araceae - Arums
- Family Alismataceae - Arrowhead
- Family Aponogetonaceae - Cape Pond Weed
- Family Limnocharis - Yellow Burr Head

Lilioid Monocots

- Informal group within Monocots

Order Asparagales
- Family Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllus)
  - Genus Allium - Onions
- Family Asparagaceae
  - Genus Asparagus - Asparagus officinalis
  - Genus Leopoldia comosum - Tassle Hyacinth
  - Genus Agave; Agave & Sotol
  - Genus Camassia; Quamash, Camas
  - Genus Hosta; var species - Urui, Hosta
  - Genus Yucca & Hesperoyucca - Yuccas
- Family Iridaceae (Iris)
  - Genus Crocus - Safron (C. sativus.)
  - Genus Iris - Orris Root (I. germanica)
- Family Orchidaceae
  - Genus Orchis - Salep
  - Genus Vanilla - Vanilla
- Family Xanthorrhoeaceae
  - Genus Aloe - Aloes (A. vera)
  - Genus Hemerocallis - Day Lilly (H. fulva, H. lilioasphodelus)
Order Liliales (Lilies)
- Family Liliaceae
  - Genus Lilium: L. davidii, L. brownii
  - Genus Erythronium: E. japonicum
- Family Smilacaceae
Order Pandanales
- Family Pandanaceae
  - Genus/spc.Pandanus amaryllifolius - Pandanus - screwpine

Clade commelinids

- Unplaced within monocots

Order Poales
- Family Poaceae - True grasses
  - Genus Hordeum - Barley
  - Genus Zea - Corn
  - Genus Avena - Oats
  - Genus Oryza - Rice
  - Genus Saccharum - Sugar Cane
  - Genus Secale - Rye
  - Genus Sorghum - Sorghum
  - Genus Triticum - Wheat
  - Subfamily Bambusoideae - Bamboo
  - Subfamily Panicoideae - Millet
- Family Bromeliaceae - Bromeliads
  - Genus/spc. Ananas comosus - Pineapple
- Family Cyperaceae - Sedges
- Family Typhaceae - Cattails
Order Zingiberales
- Family Zingiberaceae
  - Genus Zingiber
    - Z. officinale - Ginger
    - Z. mioga - Myoga
  - Genus Curcuma
    - Curcuma Longa - Turmeric
  - Genus Alpinia
    - A. galanga - Greater Galangal
    - A. officinarum - Lesser Galangal
  - Genus Amomum
    - A. cardamom - Black Cardamom
    - A. nutns - Siam Cardamom
  - Genus/spc. Elettaria cardamomum - Green Cardamom
  - Genus/spc. Boesenbergia rotunda - Krachai (Rhizome)
- Family Marantaceae - Arrowroots
  - Genus/spc. Mantara anundinacea - Arrowroot
- Family Musaceae - Bananas
  
  Genus Musa
  
  M. paradisiaca sapientum - Banana
  
  M. acuminata - Dwarf Banana
  
  M. textilis - Manilla Hemp
  
  Genus/spc. Ensete ventricosum - False Banana
Order Arecales

Family Arecaceae - Palms

Genus/spc. Cocos nucifera - Coconut

Genus/spc. Bactris gasipaes - Peach Palm - (hearts of palm)

Genus/spc. Borassus flabellifer - Palmyra Palm - Toddy Palm, Sugar Palm

Genus/spc. Elaeis oleifera, E. guineensis - Oil Palm

Genus/spc. Euterpe oleracea, E. precatoria. - Assai Palm (hearts of palm)

Genus/spc. Metroxylon sagu - Sago Palm

Genus/spc. Phoenix dactylifera - Date Palm

Genus/spc. Salacca zalacca - Salak Palm

Genus/spc. Areca catechu - Betel palm

Links

1 - Monocots versus Dicots - University of California Museum of Paleontology.

lily r 141202 - www.clovegarden.com ©Andrew Grygus - info@clovegarden.com - photos on this page not otherwise credited are © cg1 - linking to and non-commercial use of this page permitted