Monocots have floral parts in multiples of three, tapering leaves with parallel venation, scattered vascular bundles of xylem and phloem in their stems, a fibrous root system, and contain one cotyledon in their embryo.   Monocots are descended from dicots.

In these photos, you can see the typical leaf structiure of a monocot (both above and below) and an example of the flower structure of the most highly developed monocot plant, the orchid (below).

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Phylogenetic Tree
Class Dicotyledones (Dicots)

Geologic Timeline