This document discusses leaf structure and types. It describes the basic external structures of leaves, including the petiole, lamina, stipules, and venation. Leaves can be simple or compound, with compound leaves further divided into pinnately or palmately compound. The document also covers phyllotaxy (leaf arrangement), specialized leaf structures like succulent leaves, reproductive leaves, prickles, spines, tendrils, and modified leaves in plants like Venus flytraps.
This document discusses leaf structure and types. It describes the basic external structures of leaves, including the petiole, lamina, stipules, and venation. Leaves can be simple or compound, with compound leaves further divided into pinnately or palmately compound. The document also covers phyllotaxy (leaf arrangement), specialized leaf structures like succulent leaves, reproductive leaves, prickles, spines, tendrils, and modified leaves in plants like Venus flytraps.
Original Description:
Lab report and manual for those who takes plant physiology course and lab.
This document discusses leaf structure and types. It describes the basic external structures of leaves, including the petiole, lamina, stipules, and venation. Leaves can be simple or compound, with compound leaves further divided into pinnately or palmately compound. The document also covers phyllotaxy (leaf arrangement), specialized leaf structures like succulent leaves, reproductive leaves, prickles, spines, tendrils, and modified leaves in plants like Venus flytraps.
This document discusses leaf structure and types. It describes the basic external structures of leaves, including the petiole, lamina, stipules, and venation. Leaves can be simple or compound, with compound leaves further divided into pinnately or palmately compound. The document also covers phyllotaxy (leaf arrangement), specialized leaf structures like succulent leaves, reproductive leaves, prickles, spines, tendrils, and modified leaves in plants like Venus flytraps.
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Plant Biology Laboratory, T.A.
Mustafa Nakipolu
(Adopted from Introductory Plant Biology, Stern-Bidlack-Jansky, 8. Edition)
LEAF EXTERNAL STRUCTURE
All leaves originate as primordia in the buds, regardless of their ultimate
size or form. At maturity, most leaves have a stalk, called the petiole, and a flattened blade, or lamina, which has a network of veins (vascular bundles). A pair of leaflike or scalelike appendeges, called stipules, are sometimes present at the base of the petiole. Occasionally, leaves may lack petioles; when they do, they are said to be sessile.
TYPES
Leaves of flowering plants have an axillary bud at the base. Leaves may be simple or compound. A simple leaf has a single blade, while the blade of a compound leaf is divided in various ways into leaflets. Pinnately compound leaves have the leaflets in pairs along a central stalklike rachis, while palmately compound leaves have all the leaflets attached at the same point at the end of the petiole. Sometimes, the leaflets of a pinnately compound leaf may be subdivided into stil smaller leaflets, forming a bipinnately compound leaf. PHYLLOTAXY
The arrangement of leaves on a stem (phyllotaxy) may be one in which
the leaves are in a spiral (alternate) pattern, or two leaves may be attached at the same node (leaf attachment region), providing an opposite arrangement. When three or more leaves occur at a node, they are said to be whorled.
VENATION
The arrangement of veins in a leaf or leaflet blade (venation) may also be
either pinnate or palmate. In pinnately veined leaves, there is one primary vein called the midvein, which is included with in an enlarged midrib; secondary veins branch from the midvein. In palmately veined leaves, several primary veins fan out from the base of the blade. The primary veins are more or less parallel to one another in monocots and diverge from one another in various ways in dicots. The branching arrangement of veins in dicots is called, netted or reticulate venation. In a few leaves (e.g. those of Ginkgo), no midvein or other large veins are present. Instead, the veins fork evenly and progressively from the base of the blade to the opposite magrin. This is called dichotomous venation. LEAF ABSCISSION
Plants whose leaves drop seasonally are said to be deciduous. In
temperate climates, new leaves are produced in the spring and are shed in the fall, but in trophics, the cycles coincide with wet and dry seasons rather than with temperature changes. Even evergreen trees shed their leaves; they do so a few at a time, however, so that they never have the bare look of deciduous trees in their winter condition. The process by which the leaves are hed is called abscission.
Abscission occurs as a result of changes that take place in an abscission
zone near the base of the petiole of each leaf. As the leaf ages, hormonal changes takes, and at least two layers of cells become differentiated. Closest to the stem, the cells of the protective layer, which may be several cells deep, become coated and impregnated with fatty suberin. On the leaf side, a separation layer develops in which the cells swell, sometimes divide, and also become gelatinous. SPECIALIZED LEAVES
Succulent leaves retain water in large vacuoles.
Reproductive leaves, (e.g., Kalanche plantlets arise on margins of leaves.
Prickles are neither leaves nor stems; they are outgrowths from the epidermis or the cortex just beneath it.
Spines the leaves of many cacti and other desert plants are modified as spines.
Thorns modified stems produced in the axil of leaves
Succulent leaves are leaves modified to retain and store water. The fleshy leaves of onion, lily and other bulbs store large amounts of carbohydrates.
Tendrils: Many plants have modified leaf structures called tendrils that aid in climbing or supporting the plants weight, eg: Pea plant. Venus flytraps has modified leaves for capturing insects; All these plants live under nutrient-poor conditions and digest insect bodies to obtain nitrogen and other essential nutrients.
Bracts are found at the bases of flowers and are sometimes mistaken as petals. They compensate for small flowers or absent petals.
