As mentioned in my previous post angiosperms can be separated into two groups: monocots and dicots. There are a variety of differences between these two categories of flowering plants. However the easiest way to tell whether a plant is a monocot or dicot is to look at the leaves' venation pattern. Monocot leaves have parallel veins while dicot leaves have a central vein called a midrib that smaller veins branch off from. This is generally referred to as "netted" leaves. The ventation pattern of netted leaves can be further described as either palmate or pinnate. Palmate and pinnate are easy to distinguish because palmate resembles your own palm. There are multiple, thick midribs originating from a single origin (like your fingers from your palm) with smaller veins branching from the midribs. Pinnate is reminescent of a feather with a single, central vein and the smaller veins opposite of each other on either side of the midrib.
Have you started a journal (digital or paper) to record some of the plants you see during a walk? Even ten minutes daily is enough to feel the beneficial effects of focusing on nature and being present. This week try to identify whether the flowering plants (angiosperms) you see while outside are monocots or dicots. Do the dicot leaves have palmate or pinnate venation?
All uncredited photos/illustrataions/figures/etc.are made by me (Whit)