This is considered as a demerit of the ‘Engler and Prantl’ in the system of classification

The correct option is: Dicotyledons are placed after monocotyledons.

Explanation:
The Engler and Prantl system of classification is a major phylogenetic system of plant taxonomy. In this system, angiosperms (flowering plants) are divided into two main classes: Monocotyledoneae (monocotyledons) and Dicotyledoneae (dicotyledons).

A key feature of their classification is that Monocotyledoneae are placed before Dicotyledoneae. Engler and Prantl believed that monocotyledons represent a more primitive state of evolution, characterized by simpler anatomical and morphological structures compared to dicotyledons.

However, modern botanical evidence, evolutionary studies, and contemporary classification systems (such as the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system) indicate that dicotyledons (specifically primitive dicot groups) are more ancestral, and monocotyledons actually evolved from them. Consequently, placing monocotyledons first and dicotyledons after them contradicts established evolutionary patterns. This arrangement is widely considered a major demerit of the Engler and Prantl system of classification.