Tuesday Terminology: Palmate

With the recent palmetto posts I decided it is time to clarify an important term for leaf analysis. Here are the definitions:

Palmate: describing the pattern of lobes or veins of a leaf that all attach to a central point on the stem or petiole.

(Latin) palmatim or palmatus: lobed or divided in the manner of an outspread hand with the sinuses between the lobes pointing to the place of attachment. In the case of the palm picture above, palmate refers to the leaflets of a single leaf that all attach at one point on the petiole. In the future we will also see other examples of leaves that have palmate lobes or veins, as in maple leaves. The Japanese aralia picture below is a good example of a palmately lobed leaf.

*Practice note: Just think of the palm of your hand. When you look at a palmate leaf, the pattern should resemble the shape of your open hand, with the fingers all radiating outward from the central palm.