Leaves of dicotyledonous plants show a great variation in shape (see some examples in the drawing below). The venation show a hand-shaped or feather-like pattern, while stomata are randomly spread over the leaf surface, as well as the epidermal cells with the shape of "puzzle-pieces". See zoomable examples of these features in
ivy,
petunia and
lilac. How leaves are formed in dicots is explained
elsewhere.
Leaf margin in dicots |
|
1. Smooth (entire). 2. Serrate. 3. Double serrate. 4.Saw-shaped. 5. Toothed. 6.Crenate. 7. Lobed. 8. Parted. 9. Pinnately (like a feather) incised. 10. Palmately (like a hand) incised. 11.Palmately (like a hand) lobbed.
|
Ivy |
![Upper side leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs251-300/PL0298_Thumb.jpg) |
![Close-up showing venation](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs151-200/PL0167_Thumb.jpg) |
![Stomata on an ivy leaf section](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs151-200/PL0166_Thumb.jpg) |
Upper side leaf |
Close-up showing venation |
Stomata on an ivy leaf section |
Petunia: Morphology and epidermal strips |
![Young petunia plant](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0327_Thumb.jpg) |
![Upper side leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0329_Thumb.jpg) |
![Lower side leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0328_Thumb.jpg) |
Young petunia plant |
Upper side leaf |
Lower side leaf |
![Close-up of a petunia leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs201-250/PL0237_Thumb.jpg) |
![Epidermis of a petunia leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs201-250/PL0238_Thumb.jpg) |
![Epidermis strip of a petunia leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs151-200/PL0181_Thumb.jpg) |
Close-up of a petunia leaf |
Epidermis of a petunia leaf |
Epidermis strip of a petunia leaf |
Lilac: Morphology (upper views) and sections (lower views) |
![Lilac branch](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0305_Thumb.jpg) |
![Upper side leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0306_Thumb.jpg) |
![Lower side leaf](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs301-350/PL0307_Thumb.jpg) |
Lilac branch |
Upper side leaf |
Lower side leaf |
![Cross-section, overview](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs051-100/PL0081_thumb.jpg) |
![Cross-section, close-up](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs101-150/PL0130_thumb.jpg) |
![stoma and trichome](/public/Final-Images/PL_Thumb_jpg/PL_Thumbs101-150/PL0138_thumb.jpg) |
Cross-section, overview |
Detail of a cross-section of a lilac leaf |
Section through the leaf surface with stoma and trichome |