Lovely, Lovely Leaves
Leaf arrangement Decussate Opposite
Leaf arrangement Alternate Basal rosette
Function and Shape
Leaf Venation Parallel venation Net venation
Petiole Sessile leaves
Axillary Buds
Simple & Compound Leaves NB. position of axillary bud
Leaf Sheath & Ligule (monocots) Intercalary meristem also important in Monocots (esp. grasses) Ligule Sheath
New Leaves Shoot apical meristem
The Epidermis
Glandular Trichomes Drosera Dionaea
Sarracenia
Basic Leaf Anatomy Xylem Bundle sheath Phloem
Mesophyll sub-stomatal chamber
Kranz Anatomy
Leaf c.s. through midrib
Leaf Abscission Abscission layer
Cotyledons Mostly storage organs
Heterophylly Leaves may be quite different (e.g., in beans, juvenile leaves are entire, while adult leave are compound)
Xerophytes Thick cuticle Sunken stomata Reduced air spaces in mesophyll (succulent) Trichomes – boundary layer humid Multiple epidermal layers
Hydrophytes Thin cuticle Lack characteristics for water conservation Leaves often lobed (underwater)
Special Features Bulbs Tendrils Plantlets Insect traps Kalanchoë