Plant Leaves Vocabulary

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• A leaf is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis.
• The broad, flat area of a leaf where photosynthesis occurs is called the leaf blade or lamina.
• The stalk that connects the leaf blade to the plant stem is called the petiole.
• A leaf with only one blade is classified as a simple leaf, while a leaf with two or more blades attached to the petiole is a compound leaf.
• In a compound leaf, the individual blade-like structures are called leaflets, which may be arranged palmately or pinnately.
• The green pigment chlorophyll inside leaf cells gives leaves their color and enables them to absorb energy from sunlight for photosynthesis.
• Leaves are collectively called foliage, and the leaves, stem, flower, and fruit together form the plant's shoot system.
• The outer edge of a leaf is called the leaf margin, which can be entire (smooth), serrated, or lobed.
• Leaves can be arranged on a stem in opposite pairs, alternating sides, or in a circular whorl around the stem.
• Common everyday uses of leaves include flavoring food with herbs like rosemary and thyme, and making tea from the leaves of the tea plant.
• The central vein of a leaf, from which secondary veins branch, is called the midvein or midrib.
• Leaf veins provide structural support that gives a leaf its shape and transport water and nutrients to and from the leaf.