Leaves

 Leaves carry out most of the photosynthesis of a plant.

 Stores food
 Regulates transpiration through stomata.
Leaf parts:
 Blade or lamina
 Petiole
 Pair of stipules

1. Blade:
 The flat, expanded portion of the leaf is called the blade. It is a fleshy part
of leaf and is 0.3mm thick.
 It has a large surface area for absorption of light.

2. Petiole:
 The petiole is a stalk that attaches the blade to the stem.
 The stalk of a leaf a leaf without a petiole is sessile.

3. Stipule:
 Like small leaves, flat.
 Found at the bottom of a leaf stem.
 Not all leaves have stipules.
 Stipules can be highly modified into tendrils, spines, scales, etc.

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 4. Axillary bud:
The bud in the axil or angle b/w the leaf and stem.

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Kinds of Leaves:
 Leaves, which can be either
 Simple
 Compound in form.

 Simple leaves:
 Leaves which are entire, all in one piece, are called simple leaves.
 Simple leaves have a petiole and a single blade.

 Compound leaves:
 While those divided into multiple leaflets are called compound leaves. Or
 Compound leaves have blades divided into leaflets.
 Compound leaves with their leaflets arranged like a feather are said to
be pinnately compound (pinna = wing, feather).
 Paripinnate: equal number of leaflets.
 Imparipinnate: unequal number of leaflets.
 While leaves with their leaflets arranged like a person’s fingers are said to
be palmately compound.

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Twice or doubly leaves compound:
 Main axis (rachis) with two or more branches and the leaflets arranged
along the branches.
 The branch divisions are primary leaflets and the ultimate divisions are
secondary leaflets.
 There can also be thrice- pinnately compound leaves etc.

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Leaf Arrangement on stem:
 Alternate
 Opposite,
 Whorled or rosette.

Alternate:

Those which alternate sides up the stem are referred to as alternate leaves.

Opposite: Leaves that arise from the branch/stem in pairs are referred to
as opposite leaves.

Whorled: Leaves where more than two originate from the same place on the
stem and if more than two leaves arise from the same spot, those leaves are said
to be whorled.

Whorled — three or more leaves attach at each point or node on the stem.

Rosulate: Leaves form a rosette.

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Types of Veins:
 Leaf veins are vascular bundles within a leaf.

 Monocots and dicots differ in the venation pattern of leaves and in

number of flower parts.

 Monocots usually have parallel venation.

 Dicots exhibit netted venation or reticulate venation which may be eithe

pinnate or palmate.

1. Netted venation or Reticulate venation:

 Net veins are those in which the vein branch off from the main mid rib
into the other smaller veins which reunite to form a network. Or
 a net work of smaller veins that form a web like reticulate pattern.

2. Parallel venation:
 The veins run parallel to each other from the base.

Leaf shapes:
Leaves can be many shapes from round to heart-shaped to oblong.

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 Asymmetrical: completely unsymmetrical.
 Acuminate: leaf that tapers into a long point
 Mucronate: leaf with an extended central vein.
 Emarginate: notched at the end.
 Ovoid: egg-shaped with the larger end at the bottom.
 Obovate: resembling an upside-down egg.
 Cordiform: heart-shaped.
 Oblong: Tapered to both ends, but with the sides more or less parallel.
 Spatulate: shaped like a spatula.
 Oval: elliptical.
 Lanceolate: a leaf which is long pointed tip or tapered to a long point
and broadest at the base.
 Acicular: needle-shaped.

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Parts of Lamina:
The parts of lamina are as follows:

 Leaf apex
 Leaf Base
 Leaf Margin

1. Mid rip or primary vein:

In the centre of leaf lamina a distinct rib is found called mid rib.

Vein: From the midrib many branches arises called veins.

Veinlets: The veins also produce small branches known as veinlets.

2. Leaf Apexes:
 Acuminate: long-pointed, prolonged into a narrow, tapering point in a
concave manner.
 Acute: ending in a sharp, but not prolonged point
 Emarginate: indented, with a shallow notch at the tip.
 Mucronate: abruptly tipped with a small short point, as a continuation of
the midrib; tipped with a mucro.
 Obtuse: rounded or blunt
 Truncate: ending abruptly with a flat end, that looks cut off.

Acuminate Acute Obtuse Truncate Rounded Bristle

Pointed

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3. Leaf margins
 Undulate: having a wavy margin up and down
 Sinuate: with a sinous margin. with deep, wave like indentations;
coarsely crenate.
 Dentate: with teeth which point outwards.
 Lobate: or lobed rounded and flattened.
 Palmate: like the fingers of a hand spread open. 5 or 7
 Entire: even; with a smooth margin; without toothing.
 Ciliate: very small thread–like out growth from surface like eye lashes,
nose, paramecium.
 Serrate: with sharp, forward-pointing teeth. Like a saw.
 Doubly Serrate: with teeth which have smaller teeth on them.
 Crenate: wavy-toothed
 Revolute: Turned under

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Entire Dentate Toothed or Sinuate or Wavy Doubly Serrate Lobed crenate
Serrate

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4. Leaf Bases:
 Acuminate: coming to a sharp, narrow, prolonged point.
 Acute: coming to a sharp, but not prolonged point.
 Auriculate: ear-shaped.
 Cordate: heart-shaped with the notch towards the stalk.
 Cuneate: wedge-shaped.
 Oblique: slanting.
 Reniform: kidney-shaped
 Rounded: curving shape
 Truncate: ending abruptly with a flat end, that looks cut off.

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Cuneate Truncate

Surface:
 Glabrous: smooth, not hairy.
 Glutinous: sticky, viscid.
 Pubescent: covered with erect hairs (especially soft & short ones).
 Punctate: marked with dots; dotted with depressions or with translucent
glands or colored dots.
 Scurfy: covered with tiny, broad scale like particles.
 Viscid, or viscous: covered with thick, sticky secretions.

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