Peach

Lanceolate

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Chart illustrating leaf morphology terms. Click the image for the details.

Oddly pinnate, pinnatifid leaves (Apium graveolens, Celery).

Cordate leaf (Cyclamen).

elliptic leaf

deltoid leaf

Perfoliate bracts completely surrounding the plant stem (Lonicera sempervirens).

In botany, leaf shape is characterised with the following terms (botanical Latin terms in brackets):

• Acicular (acicularis): Slender and pointed, needle-like
• Acuminate (acuminata): Tapering to a long point
• Aristate (aristata): Ending in a stiff, bristle-like point
• Bipinnate (bipinnata): Each leaflet also pinnate
• Compound: The combination of one leaflet arrangement within an arrangement at a larger level; e.g.:"bipinnate, twice-pinnate: the leaflets are themselves pinnately-compound"
• Cordate (cordata): Heart-shaped, stem attaches to cleft
• Cuneate (cuneata): Triangular, stem attaches to point
• Deltoid (deltoidea) or deltate: Triangular, stem attaches to side
• Digitate (digitata): Divided into finger-like lobes
• Elliptic (elliptica): Oval, with a short or no point
• Falcate (falcata): sickle-shaped
• Filiform (filiformis): thread- or filament-shaped
• Flabellate (flabellata): Semi-circular, or fan-like
• Hastate, spear-shaped (hastata): Pointed, with barbs, shaped like a spear point, with flaring pointed lobes at the base

A single laciniate leaf of Adenanthos sericeus

• Laciniate: Very deeply lobed, the lobes being very drawn out, often making the leaf look somewhat like a branch
• Lance-shaped, lanceolate (lanceolata): Long, wider in the middle
• Linear (linearis): Long and very narrow
• Lobed (lobata): With several points
• Obcordate (obcordata): Heart-shaped, stem attaches to tapering point
• Oblanceolate (oblanceolata): Top wider than bottom
• Oblong (oblongus): Having an elongated form with slightly parallel sides
• Obovate (obovata): Teardrop-shaped, stem attaches to tapering point
• Obtuse (obtusus): With a blunt tip
• Orbicular (orbicularis): Circular
• Ovate (ovata): Oval, egg-shaped, with a tapering point
• Palmate (palmata): consisting of leaflets or lobes radiating from the base of the leaf.
• Pedate (pedata): Palmate, with cleft lobes
• Peltate (peltata): Rounded, stem underneath
• Perfoliate (perfoliata): Stem through the leaves
• Pinnate (pinnata): Two rows of leaflets
  • odd-pinnate, imparipinnate: pinnate with a terminal leaflet
  • paripinnate, even-pinnate: pinnate lacking a terminal leaflet
  • pinnatifid and pinnatipartite: leaves with pinnate lobes that are not discrete, remaining sufficiently connected to each other that they are not separate leaflets.
  • bipinnate, twice-pinnate: the leaflets are themselves pinnately-compound
  • tripinnate, thrice-pinnate: the leaflets are themselves bipinnate
  • tetrapinnate: the leaflets are themselves tripinnate.
• Pinnatisect (pinnatifida): Cut, but not to the midrib (it would be pinnate then)
• Reniform (reniformis): Kidney-shaped
• Rhomboid (rhomboidalis): Diamond-shaped
• Round (rotundifolia): Circular
• Sagittate (sagittata): Arrowhead-shaped
• Spear-shaped: see Hastate.
• Spatulate, spathulate (spathulata): Spoon-shaped
• Subulate (subulata): Awl-shaped with a tapering point
• Sword-shaped (ensiformis): Long, thin, pointed
• Trifoliate (or trifoliolate), ternate (trifoliata): Divided into three leaflets
• Tripinnate (tripinnata): Pinnately compound in which each leaflet is itself bipinnate
• Truncate (truncata): With a squared off end
• Unifoliate (unifoliata): with a single leaf

References

1. ^ "Cumulative Glossary for Vascular Plants". Flora of New South Wales. http://www.anbg.gov.au/glossary/fl-nsw.html. 
2. ^ "palmate (adj. palmately)". GardenWeb Glossary of Botanical Terms. http://glossary.gardenweb.com/glossary/palmate.html.