LEAVES

I.

TYPES OF LEAVES ACCORDING TO LEAF FORM:

SIMPLE

Blade is composed of a single unit

COMPOUND

Blade is composed of more than

one unit

(kinds of compound leaves)

PALMATELY
COMPOUND

Leaflets originate from a common

point

PINNATELY
COMPOUND

Leaflets are borne on a rachis, a

continuation of the petiole

(variations of pinnate leaves)

ODD PINNATE
Uneven pinnate or imparipinnate

EVEN PINNATE

Abruptly pinnate

BIPINNATE

Twice pinnate; decompound

II.

TRIPINNATE

Thrice pinnately compound

UNIFOLIATE
BIFOLIATE

When there is only one leaflet

When there are two leaflets

TRIFOLIATE
OTERNATE

When there are three leaflets;etc

Type of Leaf

Basic Unit

Stalk

Simple Leaf
Compound Leaf

Leaf
Petiole
Leaflet
or Petiolule
pinnae
S OF LEAVES ACCORDING TO DURATION:

Extension
of Stalk
Midrib
Rachis

Appendages at
base of leaf
Stipules
Stipels

T
Y
P
E

a. Deciduous - the leaves fall off soon after maturity; this term often applies to trees that
shed their leaves at the same time.
b. Diurnal - opening only during the day.
c. Ephemeral - the leaves lasts only for a day or less. This term also applies to flowers.
d. Evergreen - the leaves are persistent.
e. Fugacious or caducuous - the leaves fall off very early.
f. Nocturnal - the leaves open during the night
g. Persistent - the leaves remain on the plant and function for more than one year

III.

TYPES OF VENATION Arrangement of veins or nerves on the leaf blade.

Reticulate or
netted

The veins and veinlets anastomose to

form a network.

(2types of netted venation)

The veins are perpendicularly
Pinnately
directed to the midrib.

IV.

Palmately

There is no prominent midrib on the

center of the leaf blade but several
major veins start from a common
point at the leaf base and radiate at
different points on the leaf margin

Parallel
venation

The veins are more or less

equidistant from each other.

MODIFICATION IN LEAF STALK

Amplexicaul

When the petiole clasps the stem

Cylindric

When there is no distinction between

the blade and the petiole.

Decurrent

When the edges of the leaf extend

downward along the stem as ridges or
wings.

V.

Equitant

When the leaves are vertical, each

overlapping the next beneath it as if it
were folded together lengthwise.

Perfoliate

When the lobes meet around the stem

so that the blade appears to be pierced
by the stem.

Radical

When the leaves are borne on the roots

or rhizomes or very close to the base.

Rosulate

Radical leaves that spread in a circle on

the ground.

Sessile

When the petiole is absent.

Sheathing

When the base of the blade or the

petiole forms a more or less closed
vertical cylinder surrounding the stem.

LEAF BASES

Auricled or
auriculate
Eared; having a pair of ear-like
projections at the base.

Cordate
Heart-shaped; a sinus is present where
the petiole is attached

Cuneate
When the leaf base is narrow to broad,
wedge-like, tapering, acute, the sides
straight.
Hastate
The base has a pair of basal lobes that
flare outward.

Oblique
When the lowermost sides of the leaf is
markedly unequal.

Peltate
The base is shield-shaped, with the
petiole attached at or near the center
of the lower surface of a usually
orbicular blade.
Perfoliate
When the base extends around the
stem, the leaf being sessile.

Sagittate or
arrow-shaped

When the "ears" or lobes are acute and

turned downwards.

Truncate

VI.

Base is seemingly cut-off square

OUTLINE OR SHAPE OF LEAVES:

Acicular or
acerose

The leaf blade is shaped like a needle,

as in Pincis, very slender, usually
rounded in cross section.

Cordate

Heart-shaped, especially with regard

to the base

Cuneate or
wedge-shaped

Broad above, tapering by nearly

straight lines to the base

Deltoid

The blade is more or less shaped like

an equilateral triangle.

Elliptic

Like an ellipse, equally rounded at

both ends.

Falcate

When the leaf is more or less curved.

Filiform

Threadlike, very slender and

cylindrical, often flexuous.

Flabellate or
fan-shaped

Broad and rounded at the top,

narrowed below like a fan.

Lanceolate

Narrow and tapering toward the ends

like the shape of a lance.

Linear

Narrow and several times longer than

wide; the margins are parallel.

Lorate

When the blade is strap-shaped,

flattened and flexuous.

Obdeltoid

The reverse of deltoid.

Oblanceolate

The reverse of lanceolate.

Oblong

About twice as long as broad, with the

sides nearly parallel through the
middle portion.

Obovate

Similar to ovate, but with the petiole

at the narrow end.

VII.

Orbicular

When the leaf is circular in shape.

Oval

Somewhat like an elliptic, but the

breadth distinctly more than one half
of the length; broadly ovate.

Ovate

Egg-shaped, like the longitudinal

section of a hen's egg, in which the
petiole is attached to the broad end.

Peltate

When the petiole is attached to the

lower surface of the blade, the petiole
appearing as though it pierced the
blade.

Reniform

When the leaf blade is shaped like a

kidney.

Rhombic or
rhomboidal

The blade is shaped like a diamond,

the petiole is attached to one of the
sharper angles.

Spatulate

When the leaf is narrow, more or less

rounded above and tapering from near
the apex.

Subulate

Slender and tapering from the base

upward; awl-shaped.

VARIATIONS IN LEAF MARGINS:

Ciliate

The leaf margin has a row of fine hairs,

sometimes so minute that it is not
detected by the naked eye

Circinate

The margin is rolled inward from the

top

Crenate

The "teeth" along the margins are

rounded.

Crenulate

The diminutive of crenate.

Crispate

When the margin curves in a vertical

plane in minute waves as in parsley.

Dentate or
toothed

When the teeth are sharp and point

outward.

Denticulate

Similar to dentate, but with finer teeth.

Dissected

When the margin is cut into more or

less fine divisions.

Doubly-serrate

When the teeth or serrate margins

themselves serru late or bears teeth.

Entire

Smooth; the margin has no indentation

of any sort.

Involute

When the margins are rolled inward

toward the upper side.

Lacerate

When the margins are irregularly cut

about one half to two thirds the
distance to the midrib.

Laciniate

When the leaf blade is cut into narrow

or more or less ribbon-like segments.

Palmatifid

When the margins are palmately cleft

or parted.

VIII.

Pinnatifid

When the margins are pinnately cleft or

parted.

Repand or
Undulate

The margins are slightly wavy or

weakly sinuate.

Revolute

When the margins are rolled backward

toward the underside.

Serrate

When the margin is cut into a deep,

sharp teeth pointing forward like the
teeth of a saw.

Serrulate

The diminutive of serrate.

Sinuate

When the margin becomes strongly

wavy.

DEGREE OF LOBING IN LEAVES

Incised

When the margins are cut jaggedly into

very deep teeth and the teeth are very
irregular.

IX.

Lobed

When the margins are deeply cut but

the incisions do not reach more than
halfway to the midrib.

Cleft

Nearly the same as lobed, but the

incisions extending more than halfway
to the midrib.

Parted

When the incisions extend nearly to

the midrib.

Divided

When the incisions extend to the

midrib or almost quite to it.

LEAF APEX OR LEAF TIP

Acuminate

When the tip is pointed, but the

tapering lines are incurved.

Acute

When the tip ends in an acute angle

with straight sides.

Apiculate

The leaf tip is provided with a small

sharp-pointed structure which is sharp
to the touch.

Aristate

The leaf tip is extended to a longer and

more or less bristle-like appendage.

Attenuate

The leaf tip has an elongated tapering

point.

Caudate

When the leaf tip is elongated and taillike.

Cirrhose

The leaf tip is filiform and coils like a

tendril.

Cuspidate

The leaf tip is an abrupt, firm and

pointed structure.

Emarginate

The tip is prominently notched and

indented.

Mucronate

The tip is an apical short abrupt

pointed structure.

Obcordate

The reverse of cordate.

Obtuse

The tip is blunt or narrowly rounded.

Retuse

When the tip is slightly notched.

Rounded

The tip is gently curved, broad and

semi-circular in outline.

Spinose

The tip develops into a spiny structure.

Truncate

When the tip is seemingly cut-off

square or nearly so.

X.

LEAF TEXTURE:
The leaf is hard, tough and often thin.
The leaf is paper-like
The leaf is leathery, rather thick and tough.
When the leaf is thick and soft.
The leaf is thin and wholly transparent.

XI.

Cartilaginous
Chartaceous
Coriaceous
Fleshy
Hyaline
Membranaceou
s
Scarious
Suberous
Succulent
LEAF SURFACE:
Glabrous
Pubescent

The leaf surface is devoid of any vestiture, smooth.

The presence of hairiness of any type.
The hairs that are present are grayish and not so distinct to the naked
eye.
The surface is covered with small, spreading scales
When the surface is pale-bluish, often with waxy bloom
The surface is covered with glands or small secretory structures
The hairs present are stiff and spreading
The hairs are still stiffer as compared with hirsute,, dense, erect, and
straight.

Canescent
Furfuraceous
Glaucous
Glandular
Hirsute
Hispid
Mealy or
farinose
Pilose
Puberulent
Rugose
Scabrous
Scarious
Scurfy

When the leaf is thin and more or less flexible, semitransparent.

When the leaf is thin and dry, seemingly shriveled.
When the leaf resembles that of a cork.
Almost similar to fleshy but more juicy in appearance.

The hairs present are very short which readily rubs off.
The
The
The
The
The
The

hairs present are long and soft.

hairs are very soft and short.
surface displays a wrinkled appearance.
surface is rough to the touch.
surface is dry, thin, and membranaceous
surface is covered with scales.

Stellate
Strigose

XII.

Tomentose or
Floccose
Velutinous
Bloom
OTHER TERMS:
Bract
Bracteoles
Bud scale
Bulb scales
Chaf
Glume
Involucre
Lemma
Palea
Phyllary
Pitcher
Spathe

The hairs when present are star-shaped.

The hairs that are present are soft and stiff, closely appressed to the
surface and pointing to one direction.
The hairs are woolly, the hairs are soft and more or less matted
together.
The hairs exhibit a velvety appearance.
A whitish, waxy powder on the surface of leaves and fruits.
A modified leaf that subtends a flower.
These are small bracts
A small scale that envelops a bud.
These are fleshy and succulent leaves as in onion.
A bract that is present at the base of an achene in composite
flowers.
A bract that covers the flowers in most grasses.
Is a collective term for bracts.
The outer most bract that subtends a grass floret. It is one of two
bracts present in grasses.
The inner bract present in a grass floret.
A kind of bract that surrounds the head of plants belonging to
Asteraceae family. Sometimes this is referred to as involucral bract.
An enlarged pitcher-like structure present inmost members of the
Nepenthaceae Family. It is an insectivorous leaf.
An enlarged bract, which encloses an inflorescence. It is sometimes
variously colored. It is a characteristic of araceae family.