BOTANY:

CHAPTER 7
LEAF STRUCTURE,
VARIATIONS, DEVELOPMENT
AND FUNCTIONS
LEAF
 Commonly green in color due to
presence of chlorophyll
 May either be complete or incomplete:

1.) Complete – consist of lamina, petiole,

stipules.
2.) Incomplete – one of the three parts is
lacking.
 General Structure of Leaves
(Macroscopic)

1. Lamina
- also known as the blade

Characteristics:
Flattened, expanded portion of the leaf
and is usually green in color
Some are needle like (pine) and scale like
(Cypress)
Supported by veins (an intricate skeleton
which is distributed throughout the tissue)

Function: Food manufacturer of the plant

External Features:
Shape
Apex
Margin
Base
Texture
(membranous – thin and pliable, succulent – thick
and fleshy, coriaceous – thick and leathery, petaloid
–usual green masked by other color)
Forms of Leaf Blades:
 Simple – the blade is consist of a single portion, even
though it may show some tendency toward being
divided
 Compound – when the blade is completely divided into
two or more blade like segments (also known as LEAFLETS
– may either be petiolate or sessile; stalks of leaflets are
known as PETIOLULES)
More Examples:
Types of Compound Blade
1.)Pinnately compound
– arranged laterally
along a common midrib
called rachis

2.) Palmately compound

– leaflets are attached
by their bases to the
apex of the petiole and
radiate toward.
 Variation on the blade
1.) Shape (as per reported)
• Heterophyll – any situation where more
than one leaf form exists on plants
i.e. Eucalyptus sp.

Factors affecting shape:

o Intense sunlight (sun leaves) – thick
leaves with a thick palisade layer and a dense
spongy parenchyma
o Nitrogen starvation
o Water – deeply lobed, very thin leaves
o Air – thicker leaves
2.) Apex
3.)
4.) Base
5.) Texture
6.) Venation
a. Parallel venation – common to monocot
b. Net venation – common to dicot; but
can be

1.) Pinnately net veined

– if the veinlets arises from a common vein
2.) Palmately net veined
– if several main veins arises from the petiole
2. Petiole
- portion of the leaves where the blade is
connected
- continuation of the stem and contains
vascular tissue
Function: it supplies water and minerals to the
blade through its xylem

Variation of Petiole:
 Sessile – if the petiole is absent and the
blade of the leaf is directly attached to the
stem
 Petiolate – if the petiole is present
3. Stipules
- Are small leaf-like outgrowths at the base of
the petiole.

Variations of Stipules:
 Exstipulate – when the stipule is absent
 Stipulate – if the stipules are present

• If stipules are present it may either be free,

connected to the petiole, ochreate (meaning it
surrounds the stem), etc.
4. Node
- portion of stem to which a leaf is
attached
PHYLLOTAXY
 means a system of leaf arrangement on stem
 may either be:
a) Alternate Arrangement– a spiral-like
arrangement on stem; one leaf attached at a
node
b.) Opposite – when two leaves develop opposite
each other at a node

c.)Whorled or Verticillate – when three or more

leaves developed equidistantly around the node
d) Fascicled or Tufted – when two or more
leaves develop at any side of the node; i.e.
pines.
B. Histological Structure of
Leaf (Microscopic)
1.Epidermis
- covers the entire leaf surface and is continuous
with the surface of the stem to which the leaf is
attached
- Characteristic: single layer of cells
Function:
Protects the tissues from drying out
Protects the tissues from mechanical
injury

Kinds of Cells present in epidermis of leaves:

1.) Ordinary epidermal cells
• Covered by a waxy cuticle secreted by
the protoplasts
• Cuticle is thicker on the upper side of the
leaf than the underside
2.) Hair cells
• Resemble hairs
• Can be unicellular or multicellular, simple or
branched, scale like or glandular (excrete ethereal oil
impart stickiness to leaves)

3.) Guard cells

• A specialized kidney shaped epidermal cells and
between these cells are pores
• 2 guard cells + a pore = stoma
• Stoma is numerous at the lower epidermis than at
the upper epidermis
• Stoma contains chloroplast
• Function of Stoma: Provides a pathway for gaseous
exchange between the intercellular spaces within the leaf
and external atmosphere
• Closing and Opening of the stoma is due to
changes in guard cell turgor
Factors affecting closing and opening of
stoma
 i. Presence of light – if dark = stoma is
close; if light is present = stoma is open
 ii. Water deficit = stoma is closed
 iii. High levels of carbon dioxide = stoma
is closed
 iv. Temperature – if high = stoma is close;
if cold = stoma is open
2. Mesophyll
- Photosynthetic tissue between the upper and lower
epidermis

Characteristics:
Contains parenchyma tissue
Traversed by veins
Chlorophylls are present

2 layers:
a) Palisade parenchyma
Found below the epidermis
Consist of one to several layers of narrow cells

b) Spongy parenchyma
Extends from palisade to the lower epidermis
It contains large intercellular spaces so that food making
cells have free access to carbon dioxide and oxygen.
- In monocotyledon, there is no distinct difference
between palisade and spongy layer.
3. Vascular Bundle
- are present in midrib and veins of the leaf
- It forms a network that extends through out
the leaf.
Conducting elements:
Xylem and Phloem
Function:
o Conducts water, mineral salts, and foods
o Mechanical support to the mesophyll tissues

4. Bundle Sheath
- a one or more layers of compacting
arranged cells that surround the large vascular
bundles of the leaf
 HISTOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES
Basis of comparison Dicot leaf Monocot leaf
1. Shape of epidermal Isodiametric or sinuous in surface Elongated with rectilinear
cells sections walls in surface sections
2. Stomata More numerous but smaller Larger
3. Leaf hairs Non-glandular and glandular hairs Absent
are usually found at lower surface
of the leaf
4. Leaf glands Abundant; excretes varied Rare; only seen as a rule on
products sepals
5. Water stomata Numerous on the upper surface Absent or rare but present in
than the lower Family Araceae
6. Mesophyll Palisade and spongy parenchyma Less distinct and dense
are distinct; palisade is denser
7. Vascular bundles More indurated out fibrous sheath Less indurate fibrous sheath -
> strongly developed
8. Assimilation greater variety of accessory Comparatively small variety
products products of assimilation are of assimilation are
developed developed.
C. Leaves from different habitats
i. Xerophytic plants
- dry habitats
- maintain leaves that have a characteristic to
store water, inhibit evaporation, and
withstand dryness
ii. Hydrophytic plants
-plants that are submerged in, floating on, living in
water
- leaves have few or no stomata

iii. Mesophytic plants

- moderate climates
D. Leaf Abscission
- Also known as fall of leaves or separation
- Usually seen during stress, drought, and in
autumn
- Due to the activity of abscission zone
Functions of abscission zone:
o To separate the leaf or other part from the
plant
o To protect the exposed portion of the
stem from infection by bacteria or fungi and
from insect penetrations.
Characteristics of Abscission zone: (1) smaller
and denser cells, (2) vascular elements are
shorter, (3) fibers are lacking, (4) reduced
lignification
How does abscission occur?
Because of the characteristics of the abscission
zone stated above, it makes the zone a region of
weakness. As leaf abscission comes close to, the
separation layer becomes active where it secretes
pectinase and cellulases, which are enzymes that
digest the middle lamella and at least parts of
primary cell wall. This permits in turn the separation
of the cells and in result the entire leaf. At the
same time, cells near the stem become
meristematic forming a protective layer that is
similar to cork, and consequently joins the cork of
the stem and becomes continuous with it.
Leaf Modifications or Specialized Leaf
1.Bud scales
2. Spines (modified leaf), thorns (modified
stem), Prickles (epidermal outgrowths)
3. Tendril
4. Cactoid leaves
5. Flower pot leaf
6. Sundew leaves
7. Insect trapping leaves
8. Reproductive leaves
9. Floral leaves or bracts
10. Window leaves