cotyledon, monocotyledon (plural usually monocots), dicotyledons (plural usually dicots)

Term: cotyledon, monocotyledon (plural usually monocots), dicotyledons(plural usually dicots)

Origin: Anc Greek

κοτυληδών/cotyledon(=cotyledon)

>κοτύλη/cotyle(=small, hollow cup) + είδος/eidos(=form, type)

literally meaning “cup shaped cavity”

dι-/di(=two)

μονο/mono(=single)

Coined

(botan). The distinction between the dicotyledons and monocotyledons was recognized by ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus, ( 300 BCE), and later during the Renaissance by German philosopher Albertus Magnus (1200-1280 A.D.). The term cotyledon was coined by Italian doctor Marcello Malpighi (1628 –1694) and finally John Ray (1628-1705), in his natural system of classification, formally recognized two major subdivisions of flowering plants: the dicotyledons or dicots and the monocotyledons or monocots.

Definition

1.     Cotyledon is the first leaf (monocotyledons or monocots) or first two leaves (dicotyledons or dicots)  developed by the embryo of a seed from flowering plants.

2.     one of the visible segments on the maternal surface of the placenta.