Dicotyledonous or Dicot Plants: Characteristics and Importance

Dicotyledonous or Dicot Plants:

Dicot plants bear two cotyledons in their seeds. The root system. is TapRoot System; leaves are with reticulate venation, flowers are Tetramerous orPentamerous. In the world the number of dicotyledonous plant is more.Examples of Dicot plants are: Mango, Jamboline (JAAM), Litchi, Jackfruit, Shaal, Teak, Mehogoni, Garjan, and Sundari etc. As a representative of Dicot plants, the characteristics and importance of Psidium guava (PEYARA) is described with a.diagram of a small twig of it.

Characteristics :

Psidium plants are sporophyte. The plant is a small tree with multiple branches.

Leaves are simple and opposite.

Flowers are stalked, solitary. It develops from the axils of the leaf.

Ovary is situated below, the other parts (whorls) of the 'flower is above the ovary. 5. Flowers are bisexual and actinomorphic; sepals 5 free, petals 5 free and white in colour; stamens many and free, carpels 5 syncarpous (united).

Importance :

 The fruits of Psidium are of great importance. The plant is cultivated for its fruits. Ripe fruit is very tasty and the whole of it is edible. Jam, jelly etc. are prepared from its fruit. Leaves are used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. Water boiled with Psidium leaves is a good curative of gum pain.