Vegetative Morphology

Leaves

• responsible for most of the plant’s

photosynthesis
• Various physical characteristics
• arrangements, colours, shapes, sizes and forms
Basic features
 Complexity
• Leaf designs range from simple to complex
(compound).
• Simple: one leaf blade
• Palmately compound: leaflets radiate from a
point at end of the stem or petiole
• Pinnately compound: leaflets arranged on either
side of a central petiole
Bipinnately compound: A collection of pinnate
compound leaves borne on the main axis.
Tripinnate (thrice pinnately compound):
 Shape
• Linear: Narrow, parallel - nearly parallel
margins
• Oblong:
• related to linear shape but broad
• Ovate
• shape of avian egg
• broader at base than at tip 
• Obovate: egg-shaped, narrow-at- base,
broadest point above the middle of blade.
Ovate in reverse
• Lanceolate: long, narrow, wider at base (or
just above it) than at tip, gently tapers at tip.
• Cordate
 Venation
• Netted-venation = one or few prominent
midveins minor veins branching
• Pinnately-veined leaves = main vein called midrib
with secondary veins branching from it
• Palmately-veined: veins radiate from base of
blade
• Parallel venation: veins arranged parallel to each
other.
 Arrangement
phyllotaxy
Alternate: (one leaf per node)
• Spiral (decussate): (one or more leaves per node)
• Each leaf at 90° to those above and below
Opposite: (two leaves per node)