The Leaf

The following are the essential functions of leaves:

(1) photosynthesis,

(2) transpiration,

(3) guttation,

(4) storage, and

(5) defense.

EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF A LEAF

Leaves have two main parts:

➢ The blade and the petiole

The BLADE or also known as lamina, is

the broad portion of the leaf consisting of
the apex, margin, vein, midrib, and base.

Petiole is a thin stalk that attaches the leaf

to a stem.

Some plants also have a third part, called the stipules. It is the leaf-like structure
at the leaf base.
TYPES OF LEAVES

1. Simple Leaves consist of a single blade

2. Compound leaves have a blade that is separated

into two or more parts on a common petiole

COMPOUND LEAVES
a. Palmately compound – leaflets are attached
directly to the end of the petiole

b. Pinnately compound – leaflets are arranged on

the sides of the main leaf stalk

LEAF SHAPES
1. Linear – narrow and long with approximately parallel sides

2. Oblong - longer than broad with nearly parallel sides and with a rounded base
and apex

3. Lanceolate – widest below and tapers toward both ends

4. Oblanceolate – reverse of lanceolate, broadest above middle and tapering

downward
5. Cuneate – wedge-shaped, broad at the tip and tapering nearly straight lines to
an acute angle at the base

6. Spatulate – broadely rounded above and long and narrow below

7. Ovate – broadest part below the middle; more or less narrow, narrowed toward
the tip; egg shaped

8. Obovate – the broader part above the

middle; the reverse of ovate

9. Elliptical – broadest at the middle

tapering more or less equally to the base
and apex Rhomboid

10. Rhomboid – diamond-shaped, with equal sides but unequal angles

11. Deltoid – triangular

12. Orbicular – more or less circular in outline; flat

Deltoid Orbicular

13. Reniform – kidney-shaped

14. Cordate – heart-shaped

LEAF MARGINS
1. Entire – even line, without teeth, notches or lobes

2. Serrate – cut into sharp, saw-like teeth pointing forward

3. Undulate – margin of the leaf forms a wavy line, bending slightly inward and
outward in succession

4. Sinuate – like undulate, margin is very wavy (sinuous)

5. Crenate - teeth are short and rounded; also called scalloped

6. Crenulate – very finely notched with rounded projections

7. Dentate – teeth pointed outward

8. Denticulate – leaf having a finely toothed margin

9. Doubly crenate – coarsely crenate, the teeth margins again crenated

10. Doubly serrate - coarsely serrate, the teeth margins again serrated

11. Doubly dentate - coarsely dentate, the teeth margins again dentated

12. Lobed – incisions do not extend deeper than halfway between the margin and
the center of the blade and are rounded
LEAF BASES

1. Cuneate – wedge-shaped, tapering evenly to a narrow point

2. Cordate – heart-shaped

3. Oblique – slanting, unequal-sided

4. Acuminate – prolonged apex tapering to a long, narrow point

5. Acute – forming an acute angle of less than 90 degrees

6. Obtuse – blunt; the sides forming an angle of more than 90 degrees

7. Rounded – forming an arc

8. Truncate – abruptly cut off transversely at the base

9. Sagittate – arrow-shaped, the auricles turned inwards

10. Hastate – halberd-shaped; lobes at base pointed and narrow and

nearly at right angles to the petiole

11. Auriculate – small pair of projections, or ears, usually at the base

Obtuse
LEAF APEX
1. Mucronate – abruptly tipped with a small, short point; like a mere projection
of the midrib

2. Cuspidate – tipped with an elongated sharp or rigid point

3. Retuse – with rounded sinus at the tip

4. Emarginate – intended or notched

5. Truncate – a square end that look cuts off

6. Acuminate – prolonged into a narrowed or tapering point

7. Acute – ending in an acute angle, but not a prolonged point

8. Obtuse – blunt or rounded apex

9. Rounded – broad and semi-circular in outline

LEAF VENATION
1. Parallel or Closed – characteristic of the
monocotyledons. Veins running nearly
parallel to each other from base to apex and
are connected by transverse veinlets.

2. Netted or Open – characteristic of dicotyledons. Veins anastomosing

some of which are running out and end blindly in the leaf tissue.

Palmately veined. When three or more secondary veins branch radially

from the base of the leaf.

Pinnately veined. When the secondary veins branch off at intervals from
a prominent midrib.

Arcuate type. When the secondary veins curve and run almost parallel to
the leaf margin for some distance
ARRANGEMENT OF LEAVES
1. Alternate – only one leaf per node, it is placed alternate on each side of the
stem in a flat plane

2. Opposite – two leaves arise at the same point, with the leaves connecting
opposite each other along the branch

3. Spiral – one leaf per node, but it is arranged in a spiral along the stem

4. Whorled – three or more leaves connected at a node

PLANT SAMPLES (MONOCOT LEAVES)

Common Name Scientific Name

Banana Musa paradisiaca
Corn Zea mays
Coconut Cocos nucifera
Onion Allium cepa L.
Cogon Imperata cylindrical L.
Palay Oryza sativa
Pandan Pandanus odoratissimus L.
PLANT SAMPLES (DICOT LEAVES)

Common Name Scientific Name

Calamansi Citrus microcarpa
Ipil-ipil Leucaena leucocephala
Gumamela Hibiscus rosasinensis L.
Calachuchi Plumeria acutifolia
Camias Averrhoa bilimbi L.
Lettuce Lactuca sativa L.
Saluyot Corchorus olitorius
The Flower
➢ Flower is the reproductive part of a plant.
➢ The function of the flower is to produce seeds through the union
of male sperm with female ovum.

Pollination

➢ Pollination is a process when pollen grains from the flower anther are
transferred to the stigma.
➢ While fertilization is a process of fusion of the pollen grains with the
ovum to form the zygote

Accessory Parts

• Receptacle
• Sepals
• Petals

Essential Parts

• Stamen: is the male reproductive part of the flower that is made up of

the filament and an anther, which produces pollen
• Pistil: the female reproductive part of a flower that is made up of the
ovary, style, and stigma.

CLASSIFICATION OF FLOWERS
A. Based on the presence of accessory parts

1. Complete – possess all the four whorls

2. Incomplete – do not possess any one or more of the four whorls

B. Based on the presence of essential parts

1. Perfect – with both male and female reproductive organs

2. Imperfect – with only one reproductive organ, either male or female

*Pistillate – only the pistil is present

*Staminate – only the stamen present

3. Monoecious – with male and female flowers in separate structures on the same
plant

4. Dioecious – with male and female flowers on different plants

5. Polygamous – with male and female in the same flower on the same plant

C. Based on the location of the ovary

1. Hypogynous – with superior ovary

2. Perigynous – with a half-interior ovary

3. Epigynous – with an inferior ovary

D. Based on the symmetry

1. Regular – wheel-like form or radially symmetric flower

2. Irregular – form which can be divided into two equal halves

1. Catkin – spike with only pistillate or staminate flowers

2. Composite or Head – daisy-type flower composed of ray flowers around the

edge and disc flowers that develop into seed in center of the flat head.

3. Corymb – stemlets arranged along main stem. Outer florets have longer
pedicals than inner florets giving the display a flat top.

4. Cyme – determinate, flat or convex flower, with inner floret opening first

5. Panicle – indeterminate flower with repeated branching. It can be made up of

racemes, spikes, corymbs, or umbels

6. Raceme – modification of a spike with flowers attached to a main stem by

stemlets
7. Solitary (or single) – one flower per stem

8. Spadix – showy part is bract or spathe, partially surrounding the male and female flowers
inside

9. Spike – flowers attached to main stem, without stemlets, bottom florets open first

10. Umbel – forets with stemlets attached to main stem at one central point, forming a flat
or rounded top