Types of leaves

Mainly there are two types of leaves they are;

• Simple leaf
• Compound leaf

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Simple leaf

If the leaf lamina is unincised or if incised incision does not reach up to the midrib or up to the tip of the petiole than the leaf is known as a simple leaf. Simple leaf always bears axillary bud on its axil.

Compound leaf

If the leaf lamina is incised into small fragments known as leaflets either up to the midrib or up to the tip of the petiole than the leaf is known as a compound leaf. Compound leaf also bears axillary bud on its axil, but the leaflets never bear axillary buds on their axil.

Compound leaf can be categorized into two types;

• Pinnately compound leaf
• Palmately compound leaf

Pinnately compound leaf

If the leaf lamina is incised up to the midrib so that the midrib gets modified into the rachis bearing leaflets laterally than it is known as a pinnately compound leaf. On the basis of branching pattern of the rachis pinnately compound leaf can be categorized into four types;

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Unipinnate:

If the leaflets arise on primary rachis itself than it is known as a unipinnately compound leaf. If there is an odd number of leaflets than it is known as imparipinnately compound leaf and if there is an even number of leaflets than it is known as paripinnately compound leaf.

Bipinnate:

If the primary rachis gets branched once and the leaflet arises on the secondary rachis then it is known as a bipinnately compound leaf.

Tripinnate:

If the rachis gets branched twice and the leaflets arise on the tertiary rachis then it is known as tripinnately compound leaf.

Decompound:

If the rachis gets branched thrice or more than thrice and the leaflets arise on the ultimate branches then it is known as decompound leaf.

Palmately compound leaf

If the leaf lamina gets incised up to the tip of the petiole so that the leaflets appears like the fingers articulated on the palm then it is known as a palmately compound leaf. On the basis of number of leaflets palmately compound leaf can be categorized into five types;

• Unifoliate (with single leaflet)
• Bifoliate (with double leaflet)
• Trifoliate (with three leaflets)
• Quadrifoliate (with four leaflets)
• Multifoliate (five or more than five-leaflets)

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