Image
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Term
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Latin
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Refers principally to
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Description
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acicular |
acicularis |
whole leaf |
Slender and pointed, needle-like
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acuminate |
acuminatus |
leaf tip |
Tapering to a long point in a concave manner
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acute |
|
leaf tip or base |
Pointed, having a short sharp apex angled less than 90°
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apiculate |
apiculatus |
leaf tip |
Tapering and ending in a short, slender point
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aristate |
aristatus |
leaf tip |
Ending in a stiff, bristle-like point
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asymmetrical |
|
whole leaf |
With the blade shape different on each side of the midrib
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attenuate |
attenuatus
|
leaf base |
Having leaf tissue taper down the petiole to a narrow base and always having some leaf material on each side of the petiole
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auriculate |
auriculatus
|
leaf base |
Having ear-shaped appendages reaching beyond the attachment to the petiole or stem (in case of a seated leaf)
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caudate |
caudatus |
leaf tip |
Tailed at the apex
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cirrus, cirrate |
|
leaf tip |
Having a rachis that extends beyond the leaf blade or leaflets into a long whip-like extension or cirrus (common in climbing palms); antonym: ecirrate
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cordate, cordiform |
cordatus |
whole leaf or base |
Heart-shaped, with the petiole or stem attached to the notch
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cuneate |
cuneatus |
leaf base |
Triangular, wedge-shaped, stem attaches to point
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|
cuneiform |
|
whole leaf |
Narrowly triangular, widest on the opposite end from the stem, with the corners at that end rounded
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cuspidate |
cuspidatus |
leaf tip |
With a sharp, elongated, rigid tip; tipped with a cusp
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|
deltoid, deltate |
deltoideus |
whole leaf |
Shaped like the Greek letter delta; triangular with stem attached to side
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digitate |
digitatus |
whole leaf |
A palmately compound leaf with leaflets, similar to palmate[2]
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ecirrate |
|
leaf tip |
Without a cirrus; antonym: cirrate
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elliptic |
ellipticus |
whole leaf |
Shaped like an ellipse (widest at mid-blade and with similar convex tapering towards apex and base), with a short or no point
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|
emarginate |
emarginatus
|
leaf tip |
Slightly indented at the tip
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|
ensiform |
ensiformis |
whole leaf |
Shaped like a sword; long and narrow with a sharp pointed tip
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|
falcate |
falcatus |
whole leaf |
Sickle-shaped
|
|
fenestrate |
fenestratus |
leaf surface features |
Large openings through the leaf; see perforate; sometimes used to describe leaf epidermal windows
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|
filiform |
filiformis |
whole leaf |
Thread- or filament-shaped
|
|
flabellate |
flabellatus |
whole leaf |
Semi-circular or fan-like
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|
hastate |
hastatus |
whole leaf or base |
Spear-shaped: pointed, with barbs, shaped like a spear point, with flaring pointed lobes at the base
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|
laciniate |
lacinatus
|
whole leaf |
Very deeply lobed with the lobes being very drawn out and often making the leaf look somewhat like a branch or a pitchfork
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|
laminar |
|
3-D shape |
Flat (like most leaves)
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|
lanceolate |
lanceolatus |
whole leaf |
Long, wider in the middle, shaped like a lance tip
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|
linear |
linearis |
whole leaf |
Long and very narrow like a blade of grass
|
|
lobed |
lobatus |
whole leaf |
Being divided by clefts; may be pinnately lobed or palmately lobed
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|
lorate |
loratus |
whole leaf |
Having the form of a thong or strap
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|
lyrate |
lyratus |
whole leaf |
Shaped like a lyre, pinnately lobed leaf with an enlarged terminal lobe and smaller lateral lobes. See also List of lyrate plants.
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|
mucronate |
mucronatus
|
leaf tip |
Ending abruptly in a small sharp point as a continuation of the midrib[3]
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multifid |
multi + findere |
whole leaf |
Cleft into many parts or lobes
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obcordate |
obcordatus |
whole leaf |
Heart-shaped, stem attaches at the tapering end
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|
oblanceolate |
oblanceolatus |
whole leaf |
Much longer than wide and with the widest portion near the tip; reversed lanceolate
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oblique |
|
leaf base |
Asymmetrical leaf base, with one side lower than the other
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oblong |
oblongus |
whole leaf |
Having an elongated form with slightly parallel sides; roughly rectangular
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obovate |
obovatus |
whole leaf |
Teardrop-shaped, stem attaches to the tapering end; reversed ovate
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|
obtrullate |
|
whole leaf |
Reversed trullate; the longer sides meet at the base rather than the apex.
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obtuse |
obtusus |
leaf tip or base |
Blunt, forming an angle > 90°
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orbicular |
orbicularis |
whole leaf |
Circular
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ovate |
ovatus |
whole leaf |
Egg-shaped, with a tapering point and the widest portion near the petiole
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|
palmate |
palmatus |
whole leaf |
Palm-shaped, i.e. with lobes or leaflets stemming from the leaf base[4]
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|
palmately lobed |
palmatus |
whole leaf |
Lobes spread radially from a point[5]
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palmatifid |
palma + findere |
whole leaf |
Palm-shaped, having lobes with incisions that extend less than halfway toward the petiole
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palmatipartite |
palma + partiri |
whole leaf |
Having palmate lobes with incisions that extend over halfway toward the petiole
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|
palmatisect |
palma + secare |
whole leaf |
Having palmate lobes with incisions that extend almost up, but not quite to the petiole.
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pandurate |
panduratus
|
whole leaf |
Fiddle-shaped; obovate with a constriction near the middle.
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|
pedate |
pedatus |
whole leaf |
Palmate, with cleft lobes[6]
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|
peltate |
peltatus |
stem attachment |
A round leaf where the petiole attaches near the center, e.g. a lotus leaf
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perfoliate |
perfoliatus |
stem attachment |
With the leaf blade surrounding the stem such that the stem appears to pass through the leaf
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|
perforate |
perforatus |
leaf surface features
|
Many holes, or perforations, on leaf surface. Compare with fenestrate.
|
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pinnately lobed |
pinna + lobus |
whole leaf |
Having lobes pinnately arranged on the central axis
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pinnatifid |
pinna + findere |
whole leaf |
Having lobes with incisions that extend less than halfway to the midrib
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pinnatipartite |
pinnatus + partiri |
whole leaf |
Having lobes with incisions that extend more than halfway to the midrib
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pinnatisect |
pinnatus + sectus |
whole leaf |
Having lobes with incisions that extend almost to, or up to, the midrib
|
|
plicate |
plicatus |
3-D shape |
Folded into pleats, usually lengthwise, serving the function of stiffening a large leaf
|
|
reniform |
reniformis |
whole leaf |
Shaped like a kidney, with an inward curve on one side
|
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retuse |
|
leaf tip |
With a shallow notch in a round apex
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|
rhomboid, rhombic |
rhomboidalis |
whole leaf |
Diamond-shaped
|
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rounded |
rotundifolius |
leaf tip or base |
Circular, no distinct point
|
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semiterete |
|
3-D shape |
Rounded on one side and flat on the other
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sinuate |
sinuatus
|
3-D shape |
Circularly-lobed leaves
|
|
sagittate |
sagittatus |
whole leaf |
Arrowhead-shaped with the lower lobes folded, or curled downward
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|
spatulate |
spathulatus |
whole leaf |
Spoon-shaped; having a broad flat end which tapers to the base
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|
spear-shaped |
hastatus
|
whole leaf |
See hastate.
|
|
subobtuse |
subobtusus |
leaf tip or base |
Somewhat blunted; neither blunt nor sharp
|
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subulate |
subulatus |
leaf tip |
Awl-shaped with a tapering point
|
|
terete |
|
3-D shape |
Cylindrical with a circular or distorted circular cross-section and a single surface wrapping around it with no grooves or ridges. Subterete means the leaves are not completely terete, as seen in various lichens and succulents.
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trullate |
|
whole leaf |
Shaped like a masonry trowel
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truncate |
truncatus |
leaf tip or base |
With a squared-off end
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undulate |
undulatus |
3-D shape |
Wave-like
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unifoliate |
unifoliatus |
compound leaves |
With a single leaflet; it is distinct from a simple leaf by the presence of two abscission layers and often by petiolules and stipels.
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