Glossary of leaf morphology: Difference between revisions

The following is a defined list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology, the macroscopic structure of leaves including the overall shape of the leaf and the edge. For more terms describing other aspects of leaves besides morphology see the leaf article.

In botany, leaf shape is a description of the form of the part of a plant known as the leaf. Leaf shape is a component of plant morphology used in the description and taxonomy of plants. Being one of the more visible features, leaf shape is commonly used for plant identification. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets), have a regular or irregular border, be smooth or bearing hair, bristles or spines. In compound leaves, the arrangement and form of the edges of the leaflets determine the overall leaf shape, as well as the arrangement of the veins.

Image	Term	Latin	Refers principally to	Description
	acicular	acicularis	entire leaf	Slender and pointed, needle-like.[1]
	acuminate	acuminata	leaf tip	Tapering to a long point in a concave manner.[2]
	acute		leaf tip or base	Pointed, having a short sharp apex angled less than 90°.[3]
	apiculate	apiculatus	leaf tip	Tapering and ending in a short, slender point.[4]
	aristate	aristata	leaf tip	Ending in a stiff, bristle-like point.[5]
	attenuate		leaf base	Having leaf tissue taper down the petiole to a narrow base, always having some leaf material on each side of the petiole.[6]
	auriculate		leaf base	Having ear shaped appendages near the petiole.[7]
	asymmetrical		entire leaf	With the blade shape different on each side of the midrib.
	bifoliate		compound leaves	Having two leaflets.[8]
	bigeminate		compound leaves	Having two leaflets, each leaflet being bifoliate.
	bipinnate	bipinnata	compound leaves	The leaflets are themselves pinnately-compound; twice pinnate.[9]
	biternate		compound leaves	Divided into three leaflets, themselves again divided.[10]
	caudate		leaf tip	Tailed at the apex.[11]
	compound		compound leaves	Not simple; the leaf is broken up into separate leaflets, and the leaf blade is not continuous.
	cordate	cordata	entire leaf	Heart-shaped, with the petiole or stem attached to the notch.[12]
	cuneate	cuneata	leaf base	Triangular, wedge shaped, stem attaches to point.[13]
	cuspidate		leaf tip	With a sharp, elongated, rigid tip; tipped with a cusp.[14]
	deltoid or deltate	deltoidea	entire leaf	Shaped like greek letter Delta, triangular, stem attaches to side.[15]
	digitate	digitata	entire leaf	Divided into finger-like lobes, similar to palmate.[16]
	elliptic	elliptica	entire leaf	Oval, with a short or no point.
	ensiform	ensiformis	entire leaf	Shaped like a sword, long and narrow with a sharp pointed tip.
	emarginate		leaf tip	Slightly indented at the tip.
	paripinnate		compound leaves	Even pinnate; pinnate lacking a terminal leaflet.[17]
	falcate	falcata	entire leaf	Sickle-shaped.[18]
	fenestrate	fenestrata	leaf surface features	"Windowed" with holes (e.g. Monstera deliciosa or Aponogeton fenestralis), or window-like patches of translucent tissue. (similar to Perforate)[19]
	filiform	filiformis	entire leaf	Thread- or filament-shaped.
	flabellate	flabellata	entire leaf	Semi-circular, or fan-like.[20]
	hastate	hastata	entire leaf	Spear-shaped: Pointed, with barbs, shaped like a spear point, with flaring pointed lobes at the base.[21]
	laciniate		entire leaf	Very deeply lobed, the lobes being very drawn out, often making the leaf look somewhat like a branch or a pitchfork.[22]
	lanceolate	lanceolata	entire leaf	Long, wider in the middle, lance shaped.[23]
	laminar		leaf surface features	Flat (like most leaves)
	linear	linearis	entire leaf	Long and very narrow like a blade of grass.[24]
	lobed	lobata	entire leaf	Being divided by clefts, may be pinnately lobed or palmately lobed.
	lorate	loratus	entire leaf	Having the form of a thong or strap.
	lyrate		entire leaf	Lyre shaped, having a pinnately divided leaf with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lateral lobes.
	mucronate		leaf tip	Ending abruptly in a small sharp point as a continuation of the midrib.[25]
	multifid	[multi + findere] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Cleft into many parts or lobes.[26]
	obcordate	obcordata	entire leaf	Heart-shaped, stem attaches at the tapering end.[27]
	oblanceolate	oblanceolata	entire leaf	Much longer than wide and with the widest portion near the tip, reversed lanceolate.[28]
	oblique		leaf base	Asymetrical leaf base, one side is is larger, wider, or rounder.[29]
	oblong	oblongus	entire leaf	Having an elongated form with slightly parallel sides, roughly rectangular.[30]
	obovate	obovata	entire leaf	Teardrop-shaped, stem attaches to the tapering end; reversed ovate.[31]
	obtrullate		entire leaf	Reversed trullate, the longer sides meet at the base rather than the apex.[32]
	obtuse	obtusus	leaf tip	Blunt, forming an angle > 90°.[33]
	imparipinnate		compound leaves	odd pinnate, pinnate with a terminal leaflet.[34]
	orbicular	orbicularis	entire leaf	Circular.[35]
	ovate	ovata	entire leaf	Oval, egg-shaped, with a tapering point and the widest portion near the petiole.[36]
	palmately lobed	palmate	entire leaf	Consisting of or lobes[37] radiating from the base of the leaf.[38]
	palmately compound		compound leaves	Consisting of leaflets all radiating from one point.[38]
	palmatifid	[palma + findere] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend less than half-way toward the petiole.
	palmatipartite	[palma + partiri] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend over half-way toward the petiole.
	palmisect	[palma + secare] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend almost up, but not quite to the petiole.
	pandurate		entire leaf	Fiddle-shaped; obovate with a constriction near the middle.[39]
	paripinnate		compound leaves	Even-pinnate; pinnate lacking a terminal leaflet.[17]
	pedate	pedata	entire leaf	Palmate, with cleft lobes.[40][41]
	peltate	peltata	stem attachment	A round leaf where the petiole attaches near the center. An example would be a lotus leaf.[42]
	perfoliate	perfoliata	stem attachment	With the leaf blade surrounding the stem such that the stem appears to pass through the leaf.[43]
	perforate	perforata	leaf surface features	Marked with patches of translucent tissue, as in Crassula perforata and Hypericum perforatum. Similar to Fenestrate[44]
	pinnately lobed	[penna + lobos] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes oppositely arranged on the central axis.[45]
	pinnately compound		compound leaves	Having two rows of leaflets on opposite sides of a central axis, see imparipinnate and paripinnate.[46]
	pinnatifid	[pinna findere] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend less than half-way toward the midrib.[47]
	pinnatipartite	[pinnatus partiri] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend more than half-way toward the midrib.[48]
	pinnatisect	[pinnatus + sectum] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)	entire leaf	Having lobes with incisions that extend almost, or up to midrib.[49]
	plicate	plicatus, plicata	3-d shape	Folded into pleats, usually lengthwise, serving the function of stiffening a large leaf.[50]
	reniform	reniformis	entire leaf	Kidney-shaped, being shaped like an oval with an inward curve on one side.[51]
	retuse		leaf tip	With a shallow notch in a round apex.[52]
	rhomboid or rhombic	rhomboidalis	entire leaf	Diamond-shaped.[53]
	rounded	rotundifolia	leaf tip or base	Circular, no distinct point.
	semiterete		3-d shape	Rounded on one side, but flat on the other.[54]
	simple		compound leaves	Leaf blade in one continuous section, not divided into leaflets (not compound)
	sagittate	sagittata	entire leaf	Arrowhead-shaped with the lower lobes folded, or curled downward[55]
	spatulate	spathulata	entire leaf	Spoon-shaped; having a broad flat end which tapers to the base[56]
	spear-shaped		entire leaf	see Hastate.
	subobtuse	subobtusa	leaf tip or base	Somewhat blunted, neither blunt nor sharp
	subulate	subulata	leaf tip	Awl-shaped with a tapering point[57]
	terete		3-d shape	Circular in cross-section; more or less cylindrical without grooves or ridges.[58]
	tetrapinnate		compound leaves	The leaflets are themselves tripinnate.
	trifoliate	trifoliata	compound leaves	Divided into three leaflets[59]
	tripinnate	tripinnata	compound leaves	Pinnately compound in which each leaflet is itself bipinnate[60]
	trullate		entire leaf	Shaped like a bricklayer's trowel[61]
	truncate	truncata	leaf tip or base	With a squared-off end[62]
	undulate	undulatus	3-d shape	Wave-like[63]
	unifoliate	unifoliata	compound leaves	With a single leaf[64]

Leaf margins are frequently used in visual plant identification due to the fact that they are usually consistent within a species or group of species, the leaf edges are also a easy to observe characteristic which makes them even more useful for identification. Edge and margin are both interchangeable in the sense that they refer to the outside perimeter of a leaf.

Image	Term	Latin	Description
	entire	Forma integra	Even; with a smooth margin; without toothing
	ciliate	ciliata	Fringed with hairs
	crenate	crenata	Wavy-toothed; dentate with rounded teeth
	dentate	dentata	Toothed May be coarsely dentate, having large teeth or glandular dentate, having teeth which bear glands
	denticulate	denticulata	Finely toothed
	doublely serate	duplicato-dentata	Each tooth bearing smaller teeth
	serrate	serrata	Saw-toothed; with asymmetrical teeth pointing forward
	serrulate	serrulata	Finely serrate
	sinuate	sinuosa	With deep, wave-like indentations; coarsely crenate
	lobate	lobata	Indented, with the indentations not reaching the center
	undulate	undulata	With a wavy edge, shallower than sinuate
	spiny or pungent	spiculata	With stiff, sharp points such as thistles

• Leaf
• Leaf size
• Sinus
• Leaflet (botany) and Rachis
• Petiole (botany) and Plant stem
• Pinnation

• The Description of Leaves, University of Rochester
• Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
• Vplants
• Botany 115
• The seed site