Leaves are the most important vegetative part of plants. They perform photosynthesis and produce food for plants. Leaves are borne on the stem and arise at nodes. They develop from shoot apical meristems. Branches arise from the axillary bud present in the axil of a leaf.
Types of Leaves
Leaves are of two main types based on the division of lamina:
- Simple Leaves – Simple leaves possess entire lamina, e.g. banana leaf. Even if lamina is incised, it does not reach midrib, e.g. maple leaf. They do not have leaflets.
- Compound Leaves – Compound leaves possess leaflets. The lamina of a leaf is divided into many leaflets.
Let’s learn in detail about compound leaves.
Compound Leaves Types
When the lamina of a leaf is divided into multiple leaflets, it is called compound leaves. The incision of lamina reaches till midrib and divides into multiple leaflets. It is important to note here that leaflets do not possess buds in their axils like leaves. Axillary buds are present in the petiole of both simple and compound leaves but not leaflets.
Compound leaves are of two types:
- Pinnately Compound Leaves – In these types of leaves, leaflets are present on the common axis. The common axis is called rachis and it represents the midrib. They may have their own stalk. E.g. Neem leaf.
- Palmately compound leaves – In these types of leaves, leaflets are attached at the common point, i.e. the tip of the petiole. E.g. Silk cotton.
Pinnately compound leaves can be unipinnate, bipinnate, tripinnate, etc.
In the bipinnate compound leaves, the primary rachis is branched and leaflets are present on secondary rachis.
Palmately compound leaves are unifoliate, bifoliate, trifoliate, etc. based on the number of leaflets present.
This was in brief about Compound Leaf. Learn more about other related concepts for NEET, only at BYJU’S.
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