Types of Leaf Patterns

Tree leaf patterns refer to the appearance of the veins that carry water and nutrients to the
different parts of the leaf. These veins also help to provide structure for the leaf, acting as a
sort of skeleton. Leaf patterns can be as complex as a spiderweb or as simple as a straight
line. They can be visible to the naked eye or be completely enclosed and out of sight.
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Pinnate Vein Pattern
+ pinnate ,ein pattern is one of the net",eined patterns fo-nd in the
ma.ority of /road lea,es. The word pinnate means 0feather"li1e.2 This
pattern is characteri%ed /y a central ,ein3 1nown as the midri/3 with
smaller ,eins /ranchin4 o-t from it. *$amples of plants that ha,e this
type of leaf pattern are elm and /irch trees.
Palmate Vein Pattern
Rather than one central midri/3 a palmate ,ein pattern has se,eral
main ri/s /ranchin4 o-t from the /ase of the leaf at the stem. Tinier
,eins /ranch off from each of the main ri/s3 resem/lin4 a hand with the
fin4ers spread apart. 5ycamore and maple trees ha,e lea,es that are
palmate. This is another e$ample of net",einin4.
PARALLEL-VEINED-LEAVES: In parallel-veined leaves, numerous veins run
essentially parallel to each other and are connected laterally by minute, straight
veinlets. Parallel-veined leaves occur most often on monocotyledonous plants. The
most common type of parallel veining is found in plants of the grass family, whose
veins run from the leaf's base to its apex. Another type of parallel venation is found in
plants such as banana, calla, and picerelweed, whose veins run laterally from the
midrib.
http://www.cact-s"art./i%/note"
/oo1/6ictionary/6ictionary_)/dictionary_,ein.htm
The venation is the characteristic arrangement of veins in a leaf.
There are lots of different types of leaf venation that are important for plant
identification.
The term venation refers to how veins are distributed in the leaf blade, !sually lamina
comprise anastomotic veins that are veins ending in a closed point "e.g. terminating or
fused in a leaf apex# while $non$-anastomotic veins which endings are free are %uite
infre%uent.
There are two principal types of venation: parallel-veined and reticlated-
veined:
The veins on monocots are almost parallel to the margins of the leaf
whereas in dicots radiate from a central primary midvein that gives
rise to secondary or lateral veins and in turn tertiary veins and veinlets
PARALLEL-VEINED-LEAVES: In parallel-veined leaves, numerous veins run
essentially parallel to each other and are connected laterally by minute, straight
veinlets. Parallel-veined leaves occur most often on monocotyledonous plants. The
most common type of parallel veining is found in plants of the grass family, whose
veins run from the leaf's base to its apex. Another type of parallel venation is found in
plants such as banana, calla, and picerelweed, whose veins run laterally from the
midrib.
RETI!"LASTED-VEINED-LEAVES: In reticulate-veined leaves "also called net-
veined#, veins branch from the main rib or ribs and subdivide into finer veinlets.
These veinlets then unite in a complicated networ. This system of enmeshed veins
maes the leaf more resistant to tearing than does a parallel vein structure. &et-veined
leaves occur on dicotyledonous plants.
&et venation may be either pinnate or palmate. In pinnate venation, the veins extend
laterally from the midrib to the edge . In palmate venation, the principal veins extend
outward, lie the ribs of a fan, from the base of the leaf blade .
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Parallel Vein Pattern
Lon43 thin lea,es do not ha,e net",ein patterns. The lar4e3 main ,eins
r-n parallel to the leaf from stem to tip. These main ,eins are
connected /y tiny cross ,eins. The /i44er the leaf3 the more main ,eins
are fo-nd. 8n lar4er lea,es3 s-ch as the rye plant3 the main ,eins
-s-ally can /e seen with the na1ed eye. 'eedles3 s-ch as those fo-nd
on the white pine tree3 hide their ,eins within their central core. These
needles are only wide eno-4h to accommodate one or two ,eins.
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Many species of monocots have leaf bases that completely encircle the stem, thus
forming a sheath. The layers of an onion bulb (members of the Alliaceae family)
are leaves of this type. In the leaf blades of most monocots the major strands of
vascular tissue (the veins) are parallel to each other. In this manner they differ
from the typically reticulate or netlike system of veins that occurs in most dicots,
here the major veins branch and diverge, ith many of the branches meeting.
There are e!ceptions, and a reticulate leaf venation system occurs in some
groups of monocots, such as the aroid family (Araceae), hich includes skunk
cabbage, "ack#in#the#pulpit, and philodendron, the latter of hich is fre$uently
gron as a houseplant. An unusual variant form of parallel leaf venation occurs in
a group of mono#cots that includes the ginger family (%ingiberaceae) and the
banana family(Musaceae). In these families, as e!emplified by the leaf of the
banana plant, there is a bundle of parallel veins along the midrib of the leaf, and
these diverge in succession toard the margin of the leaf, the result being a
characteristic pinnate#parallel leaf venation pattern.
In most monocots, the floral parts occur in multiples of three. &ne e!ample is the
tulip, hich has si! petals (often called tepals, since there is no clear
differentiation of sepals and petals), si! stamens, and a pistil ith three
chambers or locules, representing the three carpels. The pollen grains of
monocots also differ from those of most dicots. In monocots, each pollen grain
has just one thin#alled region, the colpus, hich is the area from hich the
pollen tube emerges hen the pollen grain germinates. Most dicots, in contrast,
have three such regions. This thin area of the pollen all often takes the form of
a single elongate furro, or sulcus, that e!tends most of the length of the pollen
grain.
'ailey, (. ). Manual of Cultivated Plants. *e +ork, Macmillan, -./..
0ahlgren, 1. M. T., ). T. 2lifford, and 3. 4. +eo. The Families of Monocotyledons.
*e +ork, 5pringer#6erlag.
)eyood, 6.)., ed. Flowering Plants of the World. &!ford, &!ford 7niversity
3ress, -..8.
9ilson, :. (., and 0. A. Morrison, eds. Monocots: Systematics and Evolution.
6ictoria, Australia, 25I1& 3ublications, ;<<<.