17 Structural Difference between Monocot Leaf and Dicot Leaf In Tabular Form

What is the difference between Monocot Leaf and Dicot Leaf?

Plantae is the largest kingdom and it comprises of plants of different species. Most of these species of plants are classified as monocots and dicots.

This implies that monocot and dicot plants are quite different in terms of roots, leaves, stems as well as flowers.

The lesson provides detailed insight into the core difference between dicot and monocot leaf in tabular form. Take time to read through for a deeper understanding of the anatomy of monocot and dicot leaf ppt.

Difference between Monocot Leaf and Dicot Leaf

What Is A Monocot Leaf?

A monocot leaf is a plant that has one cotyledon within a seed. These plants also possess isobilateral symmetry.

Examples of monocot plants are maize, rice, sugarcane, grass, and wheat among many others. The upper and lower surfaces of these monocot leaves are of the same color.

The most wonderful thing is that the upper epidermis has a thick cuticle while the lower epidermis has a thin cuticle. Most of the cells found on epidermis have plenty of chloroplasts.

The leaves have parallel venation and the number of stomata is equal on either side of the leaves. The mesophyll has spongy parenchyma tissues.

Besides that, the leaves have vascular bundles where the center has the largest vascular bundle. The vascular bundles are surrounded by a thick sheath. Xylem consists of vessels and tracheids.

What Is A Dicot Leaf?

A dicot leaf is found in plant species that have two cotyledons within a seed. The plants also possess dorsiventral symmetry.

The leaves have double epidermis on either side. Besides that, the cuticle appears uniformly both on the upper and lower side.

The mesophyll is made up of one spongy parenchyma and one palisade parenchyma. The leave has plenty of large intercellular spaces and an adequate number of stomata on the lower side.

Dicot leaves tend to have net venation and plenty of large as well as small vascular bundles. The vascular bundles are surrounded by a sheath.

Xylem consists of vessels and tends to occur on the upper epidermis. Phloem occurs on the lower epidermis of the leaf. Phloem also consists of tubes.

Examples of plants with dicot leaves are beans, trees, herbs, hibiscus, and tea among many others. All dicot plants have taproots.

Comparison Chart: Monocot Leaf vs Dicot Leaf

Basic Terms Monocot Leaf Dicot Leaf
Symmetry Isobilateral Dorsiventral
Venation Parallel Veins Net or reticulate veins
Stomata Evenly distributed Occur on the lower epidermis
Arrangement of stomata Occur in a parallel row Occur randomly
Guard cells Dumb-bell shaped Kidney shaped
Colour of Leaf Surface Upper surface dark green Lower surface light green The dark green color is evenly distributed.
Bulliform/Motor cells Present Absent
Trichome Present Absent
Nature of the Bundle Sheath Extension The bundle sheath extension is sclerenchymatous. The bundle sheath extension is parenchymatous.
Vascular Bundle Differentiation Large vascular bundles that show protoxylem and meta-xylem elements. Larger vascular bundles that do not show protoxylem and meta-xylem elements.
The Hypodermis of the Midrib Sclerenchymatous collenchymatous
Mesophyll Differentiation Not differentiated Differentiated into the lower spongy mesophyll and upper palisade.
Bundle Sheath Have a single or double layer and formed of colored cells due to the presence of chloroplasts.  It has a single layer and formed of colorless cells.
Silica deposition on epidermal cells Present Absent
Intercellular space Small Large
Lateral wall Straight Sinuous/Curvy
Examples Wheat, corn, rice, banana, bamboo Pea, beans, peanuts, tomato, brinjal, oak leaf, etc.

Core Difference between Monocot Leaf and Dicot Leaf

  1. The symmetry of monocot leaf is Isobilateral while that of dicot leaf is Dorsiventral.
  2. Monocot leaf is slender and long whereas dicot leaf is broader and comparatively smaller.
  3. Monocot leaf has even green color distribution while dicot leaf has a dark green color on the upper surface and light green on the lower surface.
  4. The venation of dicot leaf is reticulate whereas monocot leaf has parallel venation.
  5. Dicot leaf has a random number of stomata on the epidermis while monocot leaf has parallel stomata that are uniformly distributed.
  6. The mesophyll of dicot leaf is differentiated into Palisade and Spongy mesophyll while monocot leaf has undifferentiated.
  7. Examples of plants with monocot leaves are sugarcane, maize, and grass while those with dicot leaves are peas, beans, and trees.
  8. Monocot leaf has a large vascular bundle while dicot leaf has both small and large vascular bundles.
  9. Dicot leaves have large intercellular spaces whereas monocot leaves have small intercellular spaces in them.
  10. Dicot leaves do not have bulliform cells whereas monocot leaves have bulliform cells
  11. Monocot plants have single cotyledons whereas dicot plants have two cotyledons.

Similarities between Monocot Leaf and Dicot Leaf

  1. Both have vascular bundles marked with sheath extension
  2. Leaves are differentiated internally into mesophyll, vascular bundles, and epidermis
  3. Both leaves have chloroplast
  4. Both have stomata and guard cells
  5. Both have vascular bundles that are differentiated
  6. Both have Hypodermis
  7. Both leaves have parenchymatous.

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Comparison Video

Conclusion

Leaves are the main parts of a plant since they help in the synthesis of food. These parts are green since they contain chlorophyll pigment responsible for trapping light to convert into food.

Both monocot leaves and dicot leaves do the same thing for the plants. They also help the plant to exchange gases and also lose excess water through transpiration.

Understanding the difference between monocot leaf and dicot leaf with a diagram as well as tabular form is quite important. I hope the information listed in the lesson has been helpful.

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