Leaf Margins - University of Kentucky

Leaf Margins

Entire Crisped Sinuate Undulate Lobed Pinnatifid

Pinnatisect Palmatifid Crenate Serrate Serrulate Dentate

Ciliate Spinose Runcinate Incised Laciniate Dissected

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Leaf Margins

Entire

A continuous margin without lobes, teeth or spines.

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Crisped

A wavy, crinkled margin.

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Sinuate

A wavy margin that border on being lobes.

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Undulate

A wavy margin that is not as deeply notched as a sinuate margin.

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Lobed

A margin with distinct lobes that are less than half way to the midrib.

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Pinnatifid

A margin with lobes that extend more than half way to the midrib.

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Pinnatisect

A margin the extends all the way to the midrib.

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Palmatifid and Palmatifid

Palmatifid is a palmately lobed leaf, while a palmatisect leaf is palmately
divided to the midrib or petiole.

Palmatifid Palmatifid Main menu

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Crenate

A scalloped margin with small rounded teeth.

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Serrate

Serrate is a common margin type. The small, sharp teeth point upward. The
teeth may be the same size (serrate) or vary in size (doubly serrate or erose).

Serrate Doubly
serrate

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Serrulate

The margin is composed of tiny serrate teeth.

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Dentate

The teeth along the margin point outward rather than forward as seen in a
serrate margin.

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Ciliate

The leaf margin contains small hairs.

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Spinose

Spinose is having spines on the leaf margin.

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Runcinate

The lobes are deeply cut and point downward.

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Incised

The margin has deep irregularly-shaped lobes.

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Laciniate

The margin is cut into narrow, irregular lobes.

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Dissected

A deeply divided leaf with irregular lobe margins.

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