Monochlamydeae

a group of archichlamydeous dicotyledonous plants. Most species are trees or shrubs, and a few are grasses. Monochlamydeae include the families Salicaceae (willows), Betulaceae (birches), Fagaceae (beeches), Casuarina-ceae (beefwoods), Ulmaceae (elms), Moraceae (mulberries), and Cannabaceae (hemp). The flowers are usually unisexual; the perianth is either absent or green and barely noticeable. The plants rarely have a calyx and corolla, and only a few species have a brightly colored perianth. As a rule, the plants are pollinated by wind. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Monochlamydeae were usually regarded as the most primitive dicotyledonous plants. However, the simplicity of their flower structure was only apparent: the gynoecium is a complex structure with two or more fused carpels, and the inflorescences are also complex. Contemporary classifications do not distinguish Monochlamydeae as a separate group.