Definition

Noun: 1. A taxonomic family of dicotyledonous plants: A major category in the biological classification of flowering plants (angiosperms) characterized by members that typically have two seed leaves (cotyledons) in the embryo. This term refers to the family rank within the class Magnoliopsida (dicots).

Usage

• The term is used in scientific botany and taxonomy to group and discuss related genera of dicot plants.
• It specifies the taxonomic level (family) for plants belonging to the dicotyledon group.

Examples

• The rose family (Rosaceae) is a well-known magnoliopsid family.
• Botanists are studying the evolutionary relationships within this particular magnoliopsid family.
• Many important crop plants belong to the magnoliopsid family Fabaceae, also known as the legume family.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily technical and academic. In more general botanical or horticultural contexts, the simpler terms "dicot family" or simply "plant family" (when the context is clear) are often used.
• It is part of a hierarchical classification system: Class Magnoliopsida (dicots) > Order > Family (magnoliopsid family) > Genus > Species.

Variants and Related Words

• Dicot family: A more common, informal synonym for magnoliopsid family.
• Magnoliopsida: The class name for all dicotyledonous plants.
• Dicotyledon (Dicot): A plant belonging to the class Magnoliopsida, having two embryonic leaves.

Synonyms

• Dicot family

Notes on Meaning

• The definition centers on the taxonomic rank (family) and the key botanical characteristic (two cotyledons). It does not describe physical appearance, habitat, or other traits, which vary immensely between different magnoliopsid families (e.g., compare the daisy family Asteraceae to the oak family Fagaceae).

Noun

1. family of flowering plants having two cotyledons (embryonic leaves) in the seed which usually appear at germination