LEAVES MORPHOLOGY

LEAVES
MORPHOLOGY
PREPARED BY DR MIRA
MASOUD
INTRODUCTION
• The thin and flat lateral outgrowths from stem nodes.
• They are the main vegetative organs of a plant body, concerned with photosynthesis,
transpiration and gas exchange.
• Leaves are produced from a superficial meristematic tissue
• The part of the stem that bears leaf is called the node.
• Each leaf possesses an axillary bud at its axil.
• Cacti are an exception. The leaves are reduced to spines, and the thick green, fleshy
stems are where photosynthesis takes place.
Leaf Parts
• leaf has three parts, namely
• Leaf base or Hypopodium, is the part where a leaf attaches to the stem.
• Leaf stalk or Mesopodium, petiole is the long, thin, stalk that links the leaf blade to
the stem.
• Leaf lamina or Epipodium, Also known as leaf blade. It is the green, flat surface
of the leaves. It consists of a small branched vein and veinlets. The vein that runs
along the middle of the lamina is called midrib. Midrib divides the surface of the
lamina into two. These veins and veinlets give rigidity to the leaf blade and help in
the transportation of water and other substances.
Leaf base or Hypopodium
• Leaf base is the initial part of a leaf that attaches to the
stem.
• The upper angle between the leaf base and the stem is called
axil.
• In some plants (e.g., Leguminosae), leaf base is swollen and
is called pulvinus.
• Pulvinus is responsible for the sleep movement of leaves
(nyctinasty).
• In monocot leaves, leaf base has a sheath-like expansion,
called sheathing leaf base (e.g., banana, grasses). It partially
or completely encircles the stem.
• In many dicots, a pair of leafy lateral outgrowths are given
out from the leaf base. They are called stipules.
• Stipules usually protect the developing buds
• stipule is considered "tendrillar" if they are long thin
tendrils, and are generally used by climbing plants.
Leaf stalk or Mesopodium, petiole
• Leaf stalk is the slender middle part that
connects the lamina with the base.
• The stalk of a simple leaf is called petiole,
and that of a compound leaf is called
rachis.
• In some cases, leaves are without stalk and
they are called sessile leaves.
• A leaf having petiole is called petiolate leaf.
rachis
• In some plants, petiole is wing-shaped
(e.g., Citrus).
Leaf lamina or Epipodium, leaf blade
• It is a broad and flattened part of leaf. Its main functions are photosynthesis and
transpiration. Shape of lamina are:
✧Acicular– Lamina is long and pointed, like a needle.
✧Lanceolate– In this type lamina is pointed or narrower at the ends while broader in the
middle.
✧Linear– The lamina is long and narrow having parallel margins. eg. Grass
✧ Oblong– Long and broad lamina.
✧Sagittate– The lamina is triangular in shape.
✧Ovate– In this type lamina is egg-shaped having broad base with slight narrow top.
✧Cordate– Its shape is like a heart.
✧Spathulate– The lamina is broad spoon shaped.
✧ Orbicular or Rotund– In this types the lamina is spherical. eg. Lotus. ,
✧Elliptical or Oval– In this type the middle part of lamina is broad while the ends are narrow
and oval.
✧Oblique– In this types midrib divides, lamina into two unequal halves
Leaf margin
• Entire ,smooth margin.
• Sinulate,wavy margin.
• Crenate margins have shallowly
ascending round.
• Serrate margins have sharp, saw-
toothed teeth pointing forward or
toward the apex.
• Dentate margins have sharp teeth, or

indentions, pointing outward at
right angles to the midrib.
Leaf apex
Acuminate—A prolonged apex
tapering to a long, narrow point
Acute—Ending in an acute angle,
with a sharp point
Obtuse—Ending in an obtuse angle
Retuse—A rounded apex with a
shallow notch
Emarginate—A deep notch
mucronate- small spicule on the
apex
Leaf venation
• VENATION : - The arrangement of veins and veinlets in the lamina is
known as venation.
• They are concerned with the conduction of water, mineral salts and
food and form the structural framework of the lamina.
• In pinnate venation, there is a midvein or midrib and secondary,
smaller, veins branching to either side of the midvein
• RETICULATE VENATION: - When the veins and veinlets form a
network, it is called reticulate venation.
• Here the midrib is centrally placed and veins and veinlets remain
distributed laterally. - It is found in dicotyledonous plants.
• On the basis of number of mid-veins,
• 1. Unicostate - with a single midvein
• 2. Multicostate - with two or more prominent.
• PARALLEL VENATION: - In this type of venation, veins in lamina run
almost parallel to one another. - It is found commonly in
monocotyledonous
Types of leaves
Simple Leaf
When a single lamina is connected to the main stem
by a petiole, the leaf is said to be simple. A simple leaf
may be incised to any depth but not down to the
midrib or petiole. Eg., Guava leaves
Compound Leaf
A compound leaf is a leaf made up of two or more
leaflets. In a compound leaf, the midrib of the leaf is
branched into different leaflets and is connected by a
single petiole called rachis.
Add a Slide Title - 9
Palmately Compound Leaf
• In a palmately compound leaf, the leaflets
are attached at the tip of the petiole.
These can be differentiated into:
• Unifoliate: These type of leaves have only
one leaflet.
• Bifoliate: These leaves have two leaflets.
• Trifoliate: These leaves have three
leaflets emerging from the same point.
• Quadrifoliate: These leaves have four
leaflets arising from the same point.
• Multifoliate: This type of leaf has many
leaflets arising at a common pint.
Pinnately Compound Leaf
• In a pinnately compound leaf, the midrib of the

leaf is divided into numerous leaflets and all
connected by a common axis. These can be
further differentiated into:
• Parapinnate: A leaf without a terminal leaflet.
• Imparipinnate: Leaf with an odd terminal
leaflet.
• Unipinnate: The leaf with leaflets on each side
of the axis. One rachis
• Bipinnate: Here, a secondary rachillae bearing
the leaflet is produced by the central rachis.
• Tripinnate: Here, a tertiary rachillae bearing
leaflets emerges from the secondary rachillae.
• Decompound: Leaf with more than three
pinnate. Eg. coriander
phyllotaxy
• Alternate, single leaf arises at each node.
• The leaves arise laterally on the stem or
branches.
• Opposite Phyllotaxy:- In this type, two leaves
arise from each node in opposite direction. It is
of Two types:
• i. Decussate:- When one pair of leaf is placed
at right angle to next or lower pair of leaf., It is
said to be opposite decussate phyllotaxy.
• ii. Superposed:- In this type, all the pairs of
leaves on the stem are arranged one above the
other.
• Whorled:- In this type more than two leaves
arise from each node and form a whorl around
it
• Leaf mosaic:- In this type, the leaves are so
arranged that there will not be any over
shading and all the leaves are exposed
properly. whorled

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LEAVES

• Dentate margins have sharp teeth, or

• In a pinnately compound leaf, the midrib of the

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