Question
What differentiates leaf of dicots from monocots?
Parallel venation
Differentiation of palisade and spongy parenchyma
Stomata only on upper side
Stomata both on upper and lower sides
Solution
B.
Differentiation of palisade and spongy parenchyma
Main differences between dicot and monocot leaves are as follows:
| Character | Dicot leaf | Monocot leaf |
| Type of leaf | Dorsiventral | Isobilateral |
| Stomata | Have more stomata on lower epidermis. | Have an equal number of stomata on upper and lower epidermis. |
| Mesophyll | Differentiated into 2 parts: upper palisade and lower spongy. | Undifferentiated |
| Bundle sheath | It is single layered and made up of parenchymatous cells. | It may be single or double layered and made up of sclerenchymatous cells. |
| Bulliform cells | Absent | Present; it helps in rolling and unrolling of leaves. |
| Venation | Reticulate | Parallel |
