Leaf and leaflet shapes[edit]

Being one of the more visible features, leaf shape is commonly used for plant identification.
Similar terms are used for other plant parts, such as petals, tepals, and bracts.

Oddly pinnate, pinnatifid leaves (Coriandrum sativum, coriander or cilantro)

Partial chlorosis revealing palmate venation in simple leaves of Hibiscus mutabilis

Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Slender and pointed,

acicular acicularis entire leaf
needle-like.

Tapering to a long point

acuminate acuminatus leaf tip
in a concave manner.
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Pointed, having a short

leaf tip or
acute sharp apex angled less
base
than 90°.

Tapering and ending in

apiculate apiculatus leaf tip
a short, slender point.

Ending in a stiff, bristle-

aristate aristatus leaf tip
like point.

Having leaf tissue taper

down the petiole to a
narrow base, always
attenuate attenuatus leaf base
having some leaf
material on each side of
the petiole.

Having ear-shaped
appendages reaching
beyond the attachment
auriculate auriculatus leaf base
to the petiole or to the
stem (in case of a
seated leaf).

With the blade shape

asymmetrical entire leaf different on each side of
the midrib.

caudate caudatus leaf tip Tailed at the apex.

Having a rachis that

extends beyond the leaf
cirrus, cirrate leaf tip blade or leaflets into a
long whip-like extension
or cirrus (common in
climbing
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

palms). ecirrate: without

a cirrus.

Heart-shaped, with the

cordate, cordiform cordatus entire leaf petiole or stem attached
to the notch.

Triangular, wedge-
cuneate cuneatus leaf base shaped, stem attaches
to point.

With a sharp, elongated,

cuspidate cuspidatus leaf tip rigid tip; tipped with a
cusp.

Shaped like Greek

deltoid, deltate deltoideus entire leaf letter Delta, triangular,
stem attaches to side.

With finger-like lobes,

digitate digitatus entire leaf
similar to palmate.[2]

Shaped like an ellipse,

elliptic ellipticus entire leaf
with a short or no point.

Shaped like a sword,

ensiform ensiformis entire leaf long and narrow with a
sharp pointed tip.

Slightly indented at the

emarginate emarginatus leaf tip
tip.

falcate falcatus entire leaf Sickle-shaped.

 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Large openings through

the leaf, see perforate.
leaf surface
fenestrate fenestratus Sometimes use to
features
describes leaf epidermal
windows.

Thread- or filament-
filiform filiformis entire leaf
shaped.

Semi-circular, or fan-
flabellate flabellatus entire leaf
like.

Spear-shaped: Pointed,
with barbs, shaped like a
hastate hastatus entire leaf spear point, with flaring
pointed lobes at the
base.

Very deeply lobed, the

lobes being very drawn
laciniate lacinatus entire leaf out, often making the
leaf look somewhat like
a branch or a pitchfork.

laminar 3-d shape Flat (like most leaves)

Long, wider in the

lanceolate lanceolatus entire leaf middle, shaped like
a lance tip.

Long and very narrow

linear linearis entire leaf
like a blade of grass.
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Being divided by clefts,

lobed lobatus entire leaf may be pinnately lobed
or palmately lobed.

Having the form of a

lorate loratus entire leaf
thong or strap.

Shaped like a lyre,

pinnately lobed leaf with
an enlarged terminal
lobe and smaller lateral
lyrate lyratus entire leaf
lobes.

See also: List of lyrate

plants

Ending abruptly in a
small sharp point as a
mucronate mucronatus leaf tip
continuation of the
midrib.[3]

Cleft into many parts or

multifid multi + findere entire leaf
lobes.

Heart-shaped, stem
obcordate obcordatus entire leaf attaches at the tapering
end.

Much longer than wide

and with the widest
oblanceolate oblanceolatus entire leaf
portion near the tip,
reversed lanceolate.

Asymmetrical leaf base,

oblique leaf base with one side lower than
the other
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Having an elongated
form with slightly parallel
oblong oblongus entire leaf
sides, roughly
rectangular.

Teardrop-shaped, stem
obovate obovatus entire leaf attaches to the tapering
end; reversed ovate.

Reversed trullate, the

longer sides meet at the
obtrullate entire leaf
base rather than the
apex.

Blunt, forming an angle

obtuse obtusus leaf tip
> 90°.

orbicular orbicularis entire leaf Circular.

Egg-shaped, with a
tapering point and the
ovate ovatus entire leaf
widest portion near the
petiole.

Palm-shaped, i.e., with

lobes or leaflets
palmate palmatus entire leaf
stemming from the leaf
base.[4]

Lobes spread radially

palmately lobed palmatus entire leaf
from a point. [5]
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Palm-shaped, having
lobes with incisions that
palmatifid palma + findere entire leaf
extend less than half-
way toward the petiole.

Having palmate lobes

with incisions that
palmatipartite palma + partiri entire leaf
extend over half-way
toward the petiole.

Having palmate lobes

with incisions that
palmatisect palma + secare entire leaf
extend almost up, but
not quite to the petiole.

Fiddle-shaped; obovate
pandurate panduratus entire leaf with a constriction near
the middle.

Palmate, with cleft

pedate pedatus entire leaf
lobes.[6]

A round leaf where the

stem petiole attaches near the
peltate peltatus
attachment center. An example
would be a lotus leaf.

With the leaf blade

surrounding the stem
stem
perfoliate perfoliatus such that the stem
attachment
appears to pass through
the leaf.

Many holes,
leaf surface or perforations on leaf
perforate perforatus
features surface. Compare
with fenestrate.
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Having lobes pinnately

pinnately lobed pinna + lobus entire leaf arranged on the central
axis.

Having lobes with

incisions that extend
pinnatifid pinna + findere entire leaf
less than half-way
toward the midrib.

Having lobes with

incisions that extend
pinnatipartite pinnatus + partiri entire leaf
more than half-way
toward the midrib.

Having lobes with

pinnatisect pinnatus + sectus entire leaf incisions that extend
almost, or up to midrib.

Folded into pleats,

usually lengthwise,
plicate plicatus 3-d shape
serving the function of
stiffening a large leaf.

Shaped like a kidney,

reniform reniformis entire leaf with an inward curve on
one side.

With a shallow notch in

retuse leaf tip
a round apex.

rhomboid, rhombic rhomboidalis entire leaf Diamond-shaped.

 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

leaf tip or Circular, no distinct

rounded rotundifolius
base point.

Rounded on one side,

semiterete 3-d shape
but flat on the other.

Circularly-lobed kind of
sinuate sinuatus 3-d shape
leaves

Arrowhead-shaped with
sagittate sagittatus entire leaf the lower lobes folded,
or curled downward

Spoon-shaped; having a
spatulate spathulatus entire leaf broad flat end which
tapers to the base

spear-shaped hastatus entire leaf see hastate.

leaf tip or Somewhat blunted,

subobtuse subobtusus
base neither blunt nor sharp

Awl-shaped with a
subulate subulatus leaf tip
tapering point

Circular in cross-section;
more or less cylindrical
terete 3-d shape
without grooves or
ridges.
 Refers
Image Term Latin principally Description
to

Shaped like a
trullate entire leaf
bricklayer's trowel

leaf tip or
truncate truncatus With a squared-off end
base

undulate undulatus 3-d shape Wave-like

With a single leaflet. It is

distinct from a simple
compound leaf by the presence of
unifoliate unifoliatus
leaves two abcission layers and
often
by petiolules and stipels