Wikipedia:POTD column/May 8, 2006



In botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat (laminar) and thin, to expose the chloroplast containing cells (chlorenchyma tissue) to light over a broad area, and to allow light to penetrate fully into the tissues. This chart shows three aspects of leaf morphology: shape, margin (edge), and venation (arrangement of the veins).

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