Why can't monocots develop into woody trees?

Answer 1

Monocots have their vascular bundles(xylem and phloem) arranged randomly in their stems. Unlike the woody trees that can grow thicker by the year. It is virtually impossible for xylem to lay down rings of wood every year with this pattern of development.

Answer 2

Because they don't have secondary growth, meaning their xylem typically doesn't grow together into a solid structure.

Most of the plants major crop plants are monocots, and some (like the palms) do develop into fairly large trees.

Answer 3

They just don't. Otherwise, why are they in different categories? Why do they have different names? Based on study and observation, botanists learned that herbaceous doesn't turn into woody. Yeah, you can talk about xylem and phloem if you wanna get technical, but the simple answer is that they don't and that's why they're classified differently. Just logic it out!

Answer 4

I am not sure you are asking exactly what you want to know.

All seeds can only germinate into the plants they are genetically determined to be. A corn seed becomes corn, an apple seed becomes an apple tree. You can't put special fertilizer on a seed and magically change it from a corn plant to an apple tree.

Answer 5

ttocsewol is perfectly right - palms are monocots. their stem is rather soft, not actually wood with annual growth rings.

Answer 6

you could make an argument that palms have //// and they of course can it's called Evolution