palmate or digitate, when several diverge from the same point, compared to the fingers of the hand.
ternate, when three only start from the same point, in which case the distinction between the palmate and pinnate arrangement often ceases, or can only be determined by analogy with allied plants. A leaf with ternate lobes is called trifid. A leaf with three leaflets is sometimes improperly called a ternate leaf: it is the leaflets that are ternate; the whole leaf is trifoliolate. Ternate leaves are leaves growing three together.
pedate, when the division is at first ternate, but the two outer branches are forked, the outer ones of each fork again forked, and so on, and all the branches are near together at the base, compared vaguely to the foot of a bird.
42. Leaves with pinnate, palmate, pedate, etc., leaflets, are usually for shortness called pinnate, palmate, pedate, etc., leaves. If they are so cut into segments only, they are usually said to be pinnatisect, palmatisect, pedatisect, etc., although the distinction between segments and leaflets is often unheeded in descriptions, and cannot indeed always be ascertained. If the leaves are so cut only into lobes, they are said to be pinnatifid, palmatifid, pedatifid, etc.
43. The teeth, lobes, segments, or leaflets, may be again toothed, lobed, divided, or compounded. Some leaves are even three or more times divided or compounded. In the latter case they are termed decompound. When twice or thrice pinnate (bipinnate or tripinnate), each primary or secondary division, with the leaflets it comprises, is called a pinna. When the pinna of a leaf or the leaflets of a pinna are in pairs, without an odd terminal pinna or leaflet, the leaf or pinna so divided is said to be abruptly pinnate; if there is an odd terminal pinna or leaflet, the leaf or pinna is unequally pinnate (imparipinnatum).
44. The number of leaves or their parts is expressed adjectively by the following numerals, derived from the Latin:—
| uni-, | bi-, | tri-, | quadri-, | quinque- | sex-, | septem-, | octo-, | novem-, | decem-, | multi- |
| 1-, | 2-, | 3-, | 4-, | 5-, | 6-, | 7-, | 8-, | 9-, | 10-, | many- |
prefixed to a termination, indicating the particular kind of part referred to. Thus—
unidentate, bidentate, multidentate, mean one-toothed, two-toothed, many-toothed, etc.
bifid, trifid, multifid, mean two-lobed, three-lobed, many-lobed, etc.
unifoliolate, bifoliolate, multifoliolate, mean having one leaflet, two leaflets, many leaflets, etc.
unifoliate, bifoliate, multifoliate, mean having one leaf, two leaves, many leaves, etc.
biternate and triternate, mean twice or thrice ternately divided.
unijugate, bijugate, multijugate, etc., pinnæ or leaflets, mean that they are in one, two, many, etc., pairs (juga).
45. Leaves or their parts, when flat, or any other flat organs in plants, are linear, when long and narrow, at least four or five times as long as broad, falsely compared to a mathematical line, for a linear leaf has always a perceptible breadth.
lanceolate, when about three or more times as long as broad, broadest below the middle, and tapering towards the summit, compared to the head of a lance.
cuneate, when broadest above the middle, and tapering towards the base, compared to a wedge with the point downwards; when very broadly cuneate and rounded at the top, it is often called flabelliform or fan-shaped.
spathulate, when the broad part near the top is short, and the narrow tapering part long, compared to a spatula or flat ladle.
ovate, when scarcely twice as long as broad, and rather broader below the middle, compared to the longitudinal section of an egg; obovate is the same form, with the broadest part above the middle.
orbicular, oval, oblong, elliptical, rhomboidal, etc., when compared to the corresponding mathematical figures.
transversely oblong, or oblate, when conspicuously broader than long.
falcate, when curved like the blade of a scythe.
46. Intermediate forms between any two of the above are expressed by combining
