After it is fertilized, the flower falls away and the ovary swells to become a fruit. In addition, foliage leaves typically have a single, branching, main vein originating at the base of the leaf blade, or three or more main veins that diverge from the base. The vast majority of plants are Dicots. Most trees, shrubs, vines, and flowers belong to this group of around 200,000 species. Most fruits, vegetables and legumes come from this class.
Monocots start with one seed-leaf.
The main veins of their foliage leaves are usually unbranched and nearly parallel to each other. The grasses which carpet our lawns and meadows are also monocots. Monocots provide us with our primary sources of nutrition, supplying us and the animals we eat with grains such as wheat, oats, and corn, as well as fruits such as dates and bananas. This book has been an invaluable reference for our local plant forays. The authors provide comprehensive keys organized both by structural and botanical classification.