Peltate: Having a centrally attached stalk or petiole like an umbrella.*
The leaf stalk of mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) is attached in the middle of the leaf, rather than at the leaf margin. Some other plants with peltate leaves are water lotus (Nelumbo) and nasturtium (Tropaeolum).
*Pell, S.K., Angell, B. (2016). A botanist’s vocabulary: 1300 terms explained and illustrated. Portland: Timber Press.
Pinnate: Leaf with veins, lobes, leaflets, or dissections arising along a central elongate axis.* These beech leaves (Fagus sylvatica) have a pinnate vein pattern. *Pell, S.K.,…
Anemochory: Dispersal of fruits and seeds by wind.* Milkweed pods (Asclepias tuberosa) are opening up and releasing their fluffy seeds in the garden and ravine….
Flabellate/Flabelliform: Shaped like a fan.* Ginkgo trees are easily identified by their flabellate leaves. *Allaby, M. (2006). A dictionary of plant sciences (Revised ed.). Oxford: Oxford…
Lyrate: [of leaves] Pinnatifid with the terminal lobe rounded and much larger than the subtending lobes.* The word lyrate is used to describe leaves that…