Leaf Morphology and Venation Vocabulary

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers botanical classification terms for leaf shapes, arrangements, margin patterns, and venation systems as described in the lecture notes.

Acicular

needle shaped

Falcate

hooked or sickle shaped

Orbicular

circular

Rhomboid

diamond-shaped

Acuminate

tapering to a long point

Flabellate

fan shaped

Ovate

egg-shaped, wide at base

Ciliate

with fine hairs

Crenate

with rounded teeth

Dentate

with symmetrical teeth

Rosette

leaflets in tight circular rings

Denticulate

with fine dentition

Doubly Serrate

serrate with sub-teeth

Entire

even, smooth throughout

Alternate

leaflets arranged alternately

Hastate

triangular with basal lobes

Palmate (Shape)

resembles a hand

Aristate

with a spine-like tip

Lanceolate

pointed at both ends

Pedate

palmate, divided lateral lobes

Spatulate

spoon-shaped

Spear-shaped

pointed, barbed base

Lobate

indented, but not to midline

Bipinnate

leaflets also pinnate

Linear

parallel margins, elongate

Peltate

stem attached centrally

Subulate

tapering point, awl-shaped

Cordate

heart-shaped, stem in cleft

Lobed

deeply indented margins

Perfoliate

stem seeming to pierce leaf

Trifoliate/Ternate

leaflets in threes

Cuneate

wedge shaped, acute base

Obcordate

heart-shaped, stem at point

Odd Pinnate

leaflets in rows, one at tip

Tripinnate

leaflets also bipinnate

Deltoid

triangular

Obovate

egg-shaped, narrow at base

Even Pinnate

leaflets in rows, two at tip

Truncate

squared-off apex

Digitate

with finger-like lobes

Obtuse

bluntly tipped

Pinnatisect

deep, opposite lobing

Unifoliate

having a single leaf

Elliptic

oval-shaped, small or no point

Opposite

leaflets in adjacent pairs

Reniform

kidney-shaped

Whorled

rings of three or more leaflets

Sinuate

with wave-like indentations

Serrate

teeth forward-pointing

Spiny

with sharp stiff points

Serrulate

with fine serration

Undulate

widely wavy

Arcuate

secondary veins bending toward apex

Cross-Venulate

small veins connecting secondary veins

Dichotomous

veins branching symmetrically in pairs

Longitudinal

veins aligned mostly along long axis of leaf

Palmate (Venation)

several primary veins diverging from a point

Parallel

veins arranged axially, not intersecting

Pinnate (Venation)

secondary veins paired oppositely

Reticulate

smaller veins forming a network

Rotate

in peltate leaves, veins radiating