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Why are eudicots considered a single evolutionary lineage?

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Tall baobab trees with thick, cylindrical trunks and broad canopies line a dirt road in Madagascar, surrounded by green vegetation under a blue sky. — plant Grandidier's baobas (*Adansonia grandidieri*) in Madagascar.

Eudicots are considered a single evolutionary lineage—or a monophyletic group—primarily due to molecular-based evidence that confirms their shared ancestry.12

This classification represents a significant shift in botanical understanding. Previously, flowering plants were broadly divided into monocots and dicots. However, research revealed that "typical dicots" actually evolved from within a larger group that includes both monocots and more-basal dicots. The eudicots are now recognized as a distinct, monophyletic clade within that framework.12

A key defining characteristic that supports this lineage is their pollen structure. Eudicots are fundamentally tricolpate, meaning their pollen grains possess three furrows or pores. This contrasts with the monosulcate condition—characterized by a single pore or furrow—found in monocots and basal dicot groups.12